Sequel to A New Problem
by GS
Summary: Chp 25 added! Tranculus isn't as destroyed as the gang had hoped. Now, teamed with Ranmata another Saiyan survivor, Herman the cat, lovable little Zergon and down a few members of the team, the Z-Gang has to defeat the evil Nabukia!
1. Default Chapter Title

The Sequel to A New Problem  
  
Author's Note: I NEED a title! Everyone I ask say, "Call it a Newer Problem," But I really need your advice ok? This is really only about my new character but don't worry! The Z gang will come back in a few chapters! (I think)  
  
Disclaimer: The Disclaimer is currently not available. Press the 'refresh' button or try again later.  
  
Chapter One  
  
"Nerfa, set course 18932, 18937, Planet Earth," the teenaged boy ordered his stolen ship.  
  
"Course set," the female computer voice replied after much flashing lights and beeping.  
  
"Inform me when you find Nabukia," a touch of hatred made his voice tighten a notch and his hands clench to fists. "I'm going to get some sleep." He walked out the small control room and found the sleeping place easily. He collapsed on it and drifted into a deep sleep.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
"Nabukia has been located," the computer jerked the boy from his sleep. "His ship is right off starboard."  
  
"WHAT!" he jumped up. "Impossible! He was on the other end of the universe a few days ago!" He dashed out of the room to the small computer he had attracted to the controls when he had gotten on. "Nerfa, how the hell did he get here!"  
  
"Incoming message," the computer ignored his question. The screen changed to the face of the shadowed man.  
  
"Ranmata," his dark face chuckled evilly. "We meet again."  
  
"Funny how that works huh?" the boy, Ranmata, swallowed his fear and faced his foe with a brave face. "Long time no see. What was it, one two years since you killed my family?"  
  
"Family?" the face mocked surprise and innocence. "A Saiyan having a family?"  
  
"I am not a Saiyan," his tail lashed back and forth. "I denied my blood a long time ago! Don't insult me like that!"  
  
"I see I have struck a nerve," the face twisted to an evil smile. "Well Saiyan, I know where you are and where you are going. I will tell you now you will fail to kill the last of the Saiyans. They are much stronger then you."  
  
"We'll see about that," Ranmata growled. "I've gotten much stronger too!"  
  
"An average power level in my ranks," Nabukia dismissed the news. "I doubt you have the potential on your own. Now if you join me again-"  
  
"Shut up!" Ranmata snapped. "I have NO intention of joining YOU! You caused my downfall and the death of my family! No way in ANY HELL will I sink that low!"  
  
"You will, I assure you," Nabukia smiled as the screen flicked off. "You will."  
  
Ranmata glared at the picture of the blacker then black ship. He watched unemotionally as it powered the green weapons and didn't blink as it fired at the ship.   
  
--------------------------  
  
His eyes snapped open. He stood up. These nightmares were not a new thing. "Damn Nabukia and his dream powers. I haven't gotten a decent nights sleep since I met him!" he fixed the red bandanna in his wild black hair. His shoulder-less armour was undented. The one thing he was proud of stealing was this. He took it off and checked for weak points and other things. It was out of Freeza's old armoury in one of the many spaceports he had been on.   
  
Ranmata had been one of the few baby Saiyans sent out to conquer planets. The one planet he had to take over was a far distance from Planet Vegeta. It was full of weak lifeforms but they possessed powerful tecqunology that could prove to be quite dangerous. Ranmata and a dozen other young Saiyans had been put in time stases so the 30 year journey wouldn't leave them full of power with no way to control it. The poor scientists on the Planet Vegeta miscalculated the navigation so when the small army hit an asteroid belt only Ranmata survived. Rescued by the people he had been sent to destroy he found the true story of his bloodthirsty savage race.  
  
The planet had been on a collision course with the sun so a small amount of the population escaped to a nearby space port, including Ranmata and his adoptive family. At the age of 10 Ranmata had been kidnapped by an evil human. This human had been kidnapped for evil purposes and was bent on revenge for all alien races, including his own. His alias, Nabukia, had at that time, taken over a few small galaxies and was on the search for young strong fighters. Ranmata was the last of five Saiyans and the closes one. He had been raised and trained by Nabukia and his hence men while ranmata's family had been held captive  
  
At the age of sixteen Ranmata was finished training and sent to kidnap young strong children like himself. Loyal to his adoptive race not his blood race he help the children escape. After he was caught Nabukia had destroyed his family and Ranmata had escaped. Hopping from planet to space port then back to planet he became an outlaw and was nicknamed the Black Shadow. He was out to find the rest of his race to destroy the one who killed his family.   
  
At the moment now though, he was rubbing his head after bumping it on the small roof.  
  
"Damn short people," he grumbled. "Nerfa, who was the last owners of the stupid small space pod?"  
  
"The Badftie," the computer replied. "Scavengers and scientists. Their last known stop was Earth where they kidnapped three lifeforms."  
  
"Are the people on the ship?" he asked surprised. "And I KNOW who the Badftie are! They are the cause of all this, the one who kidnapped Nabukia right?"  
  
"Right," the computer said. "And yes the two females and feline are now awake and right behind you."  
  
"WHAT!" he yelled. Then more slowly he turned to face the small girl and scowling teenager.   
  
  



	2. Humans On Board!

Chapter 2  
  
"Umm, hi," he grinned nervously at the pipe-bearing teenager. "Er, I   
come in peace?"  
  
"You speak English?" she asked surprised. Her weapon lowered a   
little.  
  
"I speak over 2000 languages," he said proudly. "But I mainly use   
English, yes."  
  
"What do you want with us?" the little girl piped up for the first time.   
Ranmata looked down at her.  
  
"Well, actually, I didn't know you were here," he admitted as the   
older girl lowered her pipe to the ground. "I'm going to Earth, your home   
planet I think."  
  
"How do you know?" the little girl asked surprised.  
  
"I study races a lot," he said. "I'm Ranmata. Your names?"  
  
"Kara, and this is my baby sister Tara," the older girl offered her hand to   
Ranmata.  
  
"I'm not a baby!" the girl said unhappily. "I'm five years old!"  
  
"And I'm 18, that gives me 13 years over you!"  
  
"So?" the little girl stuck out her tongue as Kara rolled her eyes.   
Ranmata shrugged at their behaviour and signed it off as sibling rivalry. His   
own family had 10 children and the ship they were on totalled 65.  
  
"There is also a…feline I think it was," he thought outloud. "What   
exactly is a 'feline?"  
  
"You must mean the cat, Joey," Kara said. She flipped her long hazel   
hair over her shoulder. "He was sucked up with us too when me and Tara   
were in the park."  
  
* Park? Cat? * Ranmata thought. * These humans have very strange   
names. *  
  
Ranmata showed them the sleeping rooms and the newly discovered   
kitchen. Kara poked around the many machines. "How do these damn things   
work?"  
  
"Mom told you not to talk like that!" Tara pointed her finger at Kara   
accusingly. "I'm telling!"  
  
"Listen brat!" Kara retorted. "Mom is, like, a few MILLION miles   
away! And any way I can say whatever I DAMN well please!"  
  
"I think I can work the machines," Ranmata butted in. "I've pretty   
good with all kinds of mechanical stuff."  
  
Ranmata looked closely at the control things. Then he grabbed the   
covering and ripped it off exposing the wire. "Ah ha!" he exclaimed. "Just as   
I thought! It responds with voice patterns! A bobby trap for any thieves like   
me!"  
  
"So we're going to starve!" Tara exclaimed close to wailing.  
  
"No, no," Ranmata grabbed the bag he always carried with him. "I   
come prepared for such things!" he whipped out a small gadget with a   
headset and mini-microphone. He placed the small machine on the wires.   
"This will record the voice waves and duplicate them. I have about a   
hundred thousand different voices on here."  
  
"You must be a high class mugger," Kara commented.   
  
"They don't call me the Black Shadow for nothing," he chuckled. The   
machine beeped and he took it off. "The Badftie usually speak Yealon. You   
are in luck, one of my friends is a Badftie and he taught me the whole   
language."  
  
"What's my name in Yeal- whatever?" Tara asked.  
  
"Rela," he replied as he placed the head set on. "Now what do you   
want?"  
  
"Cheeseburger, coke and a strawberry sundae!" Kara's mouth drooled at the   
thought of food.   
  
"Pepperoni pizza!" Tara said. "And I decided I like Rela better then   
Tara, so that's my name!"  
  
"Ok," Ranmata nodded. "Your food should come out on this platform.   
Let me see, juungio, gutriy fra kalara oputit malte frongue triuty."  
  
A big juciy cheeseburger a tall glass of coke and a huge sundae   
appeared. Ranmata then said Tara's request.  
  
"Grenichi rutuly hurala vurgillon anala fronuki hepura." The   
pepperoni pizza appeared. Then he started on his order. "Fromy, gormay   
heint jurty firjgi jriugly fjoi jfing djfnf odjejf oejfjdm alijjf nfjvirn fnfodnf   
kfjvjfnf fjeoslkf fjofjald j sdlif jfr sqwer tyuoo pasdf ghjkl zxcv bnm."  
  
The small platform seemed to explode with weird dishes from all over   
space. Immedently Ranmata grabbed some and happily shoved food into his   
mouth at an alarming rate.  
  
"Er, are you going to eat all of that?" Kara asked slightly green around   
the lips. Ranmata looked up, a green gel and red pieces if meat dripped from   
his mouth. Swallowing quickly he nodded then returned to his food. Tara   
ignored him and gobbled her food down too. Kara pushed the cheeseburger   
away.  
  
"Are you going to eat that?" Ranmata looked up from his finished   
snack.  
  
"No, you can have it," Kara said looking at him fascinated. Ranmata   
grabbed it and shoved it in his mouth.   
  
"This is delicious!" he exclaimed. He grabbed her drink and drank it   
in one gulp. "I have ta get more of this Earth food!"  
  
"So, how long till we get to Earth anyway?" Kara asked.  
  
"Oh, a few Earth months or so," Ranmata shrugged. "That was a great   
appetiser!"  
  
"A few months!" Kara jumped up. "I'm gonna go crazy!"   
  



	3. Earthbound!

Chapter 3  
  
In a dark cave on the other side of Earth, hidden from the Earth's saviours, a large figure sat in waiting. Tranculus sighed with all his low life intelligence. He traced a circle on the ground and rubbed it out with his foot.   
  
Suddenly, he jerked up and sat stiff on the rock. His eye glazed over and his head drooped. After a few minutes he straightened again and stood up. He now had his orders.  
  
  
* * *   
  
"999 998," Vegeta strained in the gravity room. "999 999," he grunted as he did another push up. * Today is the day. I will do 1000 000 push ups with out being interrupted! * "1-"  
  
"Vegeta!" Bulma stuck her head in the room as the gravity went from 500 to 1. Vegeta shot up in the air and smacked his head in the ceiling. "Goku is here!"  
  
"Idiot Kakarot! Always interrupting my training!"  
  
"Hi Vegeta!" Goku stuck his head in the room. Vegeta glared at him and almost emitted a low growl as he came closer.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"You promised we could spar today!" Goku reminded him. "And I finally got Chichi to let me come."  
  
"Fine," Vegeta muttered. "Baka," he included almost as an after thought.  
  
They got in their fighting positions, Goku grinning and Vegeta smirking. Then they both leapt into the air swing blow just as fast as they blocked them.   
  
* * *  
  
Kara yawned as she walked over to Ranmata who was pouring over history records over different species.  
  
"I'm going to take a nap," she yawned again. "Watch Tara for me."  
  
"Sure," he waved his hand at her. Kara could tell he didn't hear a word she said but decided she was too tired to care. She walked out of the control room. Ranmata didn't look up as Tara quickly entered the room.  
  
"Tell me a story!" Tara demanded as she shoved the records aside and plopped into his lap. Ranmata looked at her startled.  
  
"Get Kara to tell you one, I'm busy," he said picking up the records. Tara reached them before him and hid them behind her back.  
  
"Kara is sleeping!" she giggled. "You tell one!"  
  
"But, I-I don't' know any stories you would like!" he stammered.  
  
"You lived on a big ship with kids?" she asked. "You told lotsa stories! Just tell me one like that!"  
  
"But I was part of the youngest on the ship!" he exclaimed trying to get the computer reports from Tara who skilfully tossed them across the room.  
  
"Then you had stories told to you," she nodded.  
  
"Well, yea..."   
  
"Tell me one or I'll start to cry!"  
  
"Go ahead," Ranmata crossed his arms over his chest as best he could when a little girl was taking up his lap.  
  
"Fine! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! I-I-I MMMMISS MY MOMMYYYYYYY!" she wailed. Ranmata was almost knocked over by her but braced himself against the floor.  
  
"Ok, ok!" he said. "I'll tell you a story!"  
  
"A scary one!"   
  
"Ok but you asked for it. Once upon a time...."  
  
* * *   
  
Footsteps echoed down the dark hallway as the messenger ran down passed the black guards to the door at the end. He showed his rank to the guards by the dor and the heavy black door swung open. He hurried in and dropped to the ground panting before the tall throne.   
  
"What is your message?" the hard voice commanded the small quivering man.  
  
"Sire, the android on the planet Earth is responding and is now putting Phase One into action."  
  
"Good, inform me when Phase Two is complete. You are dismissed."  
  
"Yes Sire," the man stood and hurried out of the room avoiding the leader's face. The cold twisted face grinned at the never-ending black space.  
  
"Soon you will me mine," he promised. "After I destroy the annoying Saiyans. Goku, Vegeta, Trunks, Goten, Gohan, Pan, Bra. Enjoy your last days alive. I have to make a little detour before I get to you." His smile disappeared and his and clenched. "First I have to delete a little problem called Ranmata."  
  
* * *  
  
"Trudy tried to hid from the Yowling but it was no use," Ranmata said in a dramatic voice to the little girl gripping his armour. "The Yowling crushed the rock and stood over him. Trudy begged to be let go but the Yowling ignored him. Then the Yowling leaned over and opened his foul mouth lined with thousands of teeth and whispered something in Trudy's ear."  
  
Tara whimpered and buried her face in his shoulder. Ranmata smiled and patted her back. "Maybe this story is too scary for you. I'll stop here."  
  
"Don't you dare!" Tara yelled in his face. "I HAVE to know what the Yowling said!"  
  
"Ok, ok!" he grinned as she increased his death grip. "The Yowling leaned over and whispered something in Trudy's ear. He said, with his smelly breath pouring down Trudy's neck, 'Do you have a Tic Tac?'"  
  
"A Tic Tac?" Tara looked up her fear fading.  
  
"Trudy replied, 'Oh yes, I do. Orange flavour. Here you go.' The Yowling said back, 'Thank you, my wife has been bugging me about this breath of mine for centuries!' Then the Yowling waddled back into the dark forest leaving poor Trudy to walk to home and explain to his dear mother where he had been."  
  
"That was great!" Tara was all smiled again. Then suddenly she yawned and cuddled into his chest once more. Ranmata barely had time to think when she was asleep. He looked bewildered at the small girl curled on his shoulder. Sighing he carefully detached her from his shoulder and stood up. He walking into one of the many sleeping rooms he placed her on the bed and covered her with a blanket.  
  
"Nerfa," he said as he stepped out of the room. "Activate the automatic alarm system for my room. I'm getting some shut eye."  
  
"Sweet dreams," the computer replied as the lights dimmed. Ranmata crawled over to his bed. Taking off his shoulder-less armour he covered his body with the white blanket. His bandanna fell off and landed on his armour as sleep over took him.  
  
* * *  
  
Tranculus hovered over the Son house as the last of the light faded. Taking note where it was he flew off to find Capsule Corp. Fortunately for him androids never get tried so mapping the entire planet was easily done.  
  
* * *   
  
"Vegeta you really improved," Goku complimented the fallen Saiyan prince. "I almost didn't beat you!"  
  
"I'll kill you yet Kakarot," he growled. "Some day, I'll kill you."  
  
"Sure Vegeta," Goku smiled good naturally. "Some day you will."  
  
Heaving the small Saiyan over his shoulder he put a finger to his forehead and found Bulma's chi.  
  
  



	4. Nightmares

Chapter 4  
  
Ranmata slowly opened his eyes then shut them as soon as the bright light stung him. A shadow covered his face and he opened then again to stare into bright blue ones.  
  
"Tara?" he asked sleepily. "What do you want?"  
  
"I'm going to hang around you today!" she announced happily. Suddenly something small and furry was dropped on his chest. He jerked up in surprise and glared at Tara as she laughed.  
  
"What is that?" he asked frowning picking up the grey ball of fluff by the scruff of it's neck.  
  
"It's Joey, our cat!" she scooped Joey up in her arms and cuddled the struggling kitten. It gave a strangled yelp as Tara rocked him back and forth.  
  
"Er, can I see him?" Ranmata asked trying to save the animal from its fate.  
  
"Sure," she held him out and dropped him on Ranmata's head. Ranmata quickly took it out of his wild black hair and held it in one hand. The kitten looked at him with green eyes; it's body barely big enough to fit in his hand. Ranmata let out a sneeze and stood up putting the kitten on his shoulder.  
  
"Let's find your sister," Ranmata picked up Tara in his other hand and walked out the door. He first looked into the control room but it was empty. So were the rest of the bedrooms and the kitchen, med lab and the washroom. "Nerfa where the hell is Kara?"  
  
"Don't swear," Tara scolded him still clinging onto his shoulder. He made a face at her as Nerfa replied to his question.  
  
"She's in the engine room."  
  
"Come on Tara, we have to work out SOME thing about this...what is it again?"  
  
"It's NOT a thing!" Tara protested. "His name is Joey and he's a cat!"  
  
Ranmata sighed and found the engine room behind the kitchen. There was Kara, leaning over the pulsing engine, her long hazel hair tied in a ponytail dressed in short jean shorts and a red tee shirt. She looked up at Ranmata and Tara before dismissing them and returned to looking at the metal engine through her thick glasses.  
  
"Excuse me Kara but-" Ranmata began to explain his problem with the cat.  
  
"Shhh," she held a finger to her lips. "This is unlike ANY metal I've seen. And I've seen quite a few."  
  
"Yes," he said not really understanding what she was saying. "About Joey-"  
  
"What about Joey?" she picked him up and Ranmata set Tara down.  
  
"If you would let me finish-" he got annoyed.  
  
"If you would only finish," she grinned.  
  
"I'm trying-"  
  
"Trying to what?"  
  
"Trying to-"  
  
"To what?"  
  
"Speak!"  
  
"Oh then go ahead."  
  
"This cat has got to go or be put in-"  
  
"Put in what?"  
  
Ranmata growled and snatched the cat back up. Then he let out another sneeze. He turned and stalked out the room with Kara laughing at him. Tara grinned and followed him out.  
  
"So, where you going?" she asked skipping to keep up with his long stride.  
  
"To put this animal in a cage," his expression softened, as he looked sideways at the little girl. "I'm allergic to it."  
  
"But Joey loves you!" Tara exclaimed. As if to prove her point Joey ran his tongue from Ranmata's cheek to his ear. "See?"  
  
"But I DON'T love him," Ranmata said as he reached the fourth bedroom that was beside his own. He placed the kitten on the floor and shut the door. It was silent for a moment then Joey started scratching on the door meowing loudly.  
  
Ranmata picked up Tara and put her on his shoulder. He walked back to the kitchen and ordered a huge lunch for himself and Tara. As they ate (well Ranmata inhaled it) Kara walked in and picked up a piece of toast from Tara's plate. Ranmata glared at her but was too engrossed in eating then anything.  
  
He left quickly as soon as he was finished to view the history logs on the ship. He found them very useful, so far Nerfa had downloaded more then ten million different ships navigation and biological logs and with had mapped over three quarters of the universe and ten of billions of species, sentient or not. Also he had 4000 more languages he had to learn.  
  
After he had left Tara turned to Kara. "Ranmata is nice, don't you think?"  
  
"No, he's a stuck up jerk," she stated. "Look what he did to Joey!"  
  
"It's only because he's allergic to him," Tara defended Ranmata. "Anyway, he's nice to ME!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh dear, this isn't good at all!" King Kai muttered. "I'll have to talk to Goku about this!"  
  
Meanwhile, the Saiyan in question was shovelling food into his mouth at an alarming rate. Chichi was attempting to fill up his plate again but she couldn't get close enough. Goku realised this but instead of backing off he slyly switched plates with Goten as he paused for breath.  
  
"Hey!" Goten yelped as he found his plate now empty. "Where's my food?"  
  
"I'df knof," Goku mumbled out trying to look innocent as he continued eating. Goten looked around the table still wondering who would steal his food.  
  
~ Goku! ~  
  
~ Huh? ~ Goku though without taking his head from his stolen plate. ~ Oh hi King Kai! What's happening? ~  
  
~ I sense an evil force heading to Earth! ~ The god said. ~ He'll arrive in a few months so start training! ~  
  
~ Sure thing, ~ Goku finished Goten's food and brushed his face off then licked the leftovers off his fingers. ~ Say hi to Bubbles and Gregory for me! ~  
  
"Well boy," Goku stood up as Goten realised that the plate in front of him was Goku's. "Let's get training!"  
  
"Did you steal my food?" Goten glared at the Saiyan.  
  
"No time for that!" Goku laughed nervously. "There's an evil force coming to Earth in a few months and we have to get ready."  
  
"When did you find this out?" Chichi asked glaring at him.  
  
"King Kai just told me," Goku grinned his nervousness growing under the angry glares of his wife and youngest son. "Well, um, let's go tell Vegeta!"  
  
* * *   
  
"Woman, where is my food?" Vegeta demanded. "I'm hungry and the Prince of Saiyan should NOT be kept hungry for long!"  
  
"I liked you better when you were Veggie," Bulma muttered. The crisp remains of dinner was shoved in front of Vegeta who made a disgusted face.  
  
"Veggie couldn't do this," he stood up and pressed her against the wall in a passionate kiss. Bra and Trunks walked in right then but to them it happened all the time so they ignored it.   
  
"Let's do eat out," Bra saw the blacken strips of some food lying on a plate.   
  
"I'm with you," Trunks replied and they were both out the door.   
  
* * *  
  
Later on the ship Ranmata put Tara to bed after she fell asleep in his lap again while he was going over his lessons. Pulling the blanket up to her chin he smiled the snuffled a yawn. He quietly left the room and went to his own. He flopped on the bed relaxing for a minute. Taking care of Tara while Kara lofted off was really draining him. He closed his eyes and drifted in and out of consciousness.  
  
"Mreowww!" a pitiful voice yowled through the wall. Ranmata sighed and pulled his pillow over his ears to no success. "Mreowww!"  
  
"I'm coming," he grunted and pushed himself up. Stumbling next door he opened it to be attacked by a furious ball of fur. The kitten sniffed his face as he lay on the cold floor. After deciding who it was she proceeded to wash his nose. "Stop that," he grumbled. "I'm trying to sleep."  
  
"Sleeping on the floor," a voice behind him woke him up fully. "That gotta be uncomfortable."  
  
"You going to sleep too Kara?" he asked as he pulled himself into a sitting position making Joey tumble to his lap.   
  
"You bet I am," she grinned and opened the door to her own room beside Tara's.   
  
"G'night," he mumbled before standing and walking into his own room. He fell on the bed again and Joey curled up in his hair. He just sighed and dropped off into sleep.  
  
-------------------------  
  
"Hello Saiyan," the cold voice entered his dreams again. Ranmata sighed and ignored it. "Saiyan, it is not good to ignore my warnings."  
  
"Bite me," he sighed.  
  
The face chuckled. "I always did admire your spunk. But now it is your death wish."  
  
"Get bent," he said off-handily again. "And go away, I want to sleep."  
  
"Very well," the voice sounded slightly miffed. "You'll need it for our fight tomorrow."  
  
"Sure," Ranmata sighed as the dream faded and he slipped into a lighter sleep with no dreams.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
"Ranmata," a soft voice was shaking him. He opened his eye slowly and turned to face his visitor. Tara climbed on the bed with him.  
  
"What is it Tara?" he asked.  
  
"The Yowling was in my room and he didn't want a Tic Tac. Can I stay here for the rest of the night?"  
  
"As long as you promise to let me get some sleep," he sighed as she cuddled in his arms quivering. Joey crawled over to her and he curled up on her arm. Ranmata yawned and fell asleep again.  
  
  



	5. Unavoidable Tensions

Chapter 5  
  
"Stupid piece of junk," Ranmata growled in the main control room. "Damn fu-"  
  
"No swearing," Tara poked his face from her position on his shoulder. Ranmata just growled a responds and curse under his breath as he fiddled with a few buttons.  
  
"What's the problem?" Kara yawned and stretched from her chair.  
  
"We're out of fuel," he grumbled. "There's a space port nearby but that means we have to ditch the ship."  
  
"Why?" Kara asked confused.  
  
"Because," Tara answered for him. "By now it's probably listed as a stolen ship and when he lands and somebody recognises it we'll get in trouble if people realise he stole it."  
  
"Oh," Kara said trying not to look stupid. "I knew that."  
  
"Ok, let me do the talking," Ranmata ordered. He answered the call the spaceport was sending him.  
  
"Hello," the fat pink scaly alien greeted in perfect English. "Do you wish to dock?"  
  
"Yes," Ranmata said happily. "My ship is out of fuel and my family and I are on a long journey."  
  
"Let us lock onto you and pull you in the ship to avoid any nasty incidents."  
  
"Go right ahead and thank you," Ranmata smiled as the screen blinked off. As soon as the face was gone his mask dropped. "Ok, Kara you are my young wife Herlin and Tara you are our daughter Rela. We are travelling to planet Fun for a vacation, our species is 34536 or the Daiyn. Got it?"  
  
"Why am I your wife?" Kara asked grumpily.  
  
"Because they are more easy-going with young families," he said. "Now we have a few minute and I want you to change to Daiyn wear. If anyone asked we lost our extra finger in an unfortunate accident on planet Glaive."  
  
"Our-" but Kara was cut off by Ranmata shoving some clothes in her arms then pushing her in her room. Kara changed to the baggy purple robes and headscarf Ranmata had given her. She put her clothes and glasses in the big pockets on the inside. He stepped out and saw Ranmata finish tying the red scarf around Tara. He then picked up Joey and handed him to Tara.  
  
"Daiyn's are know to collect pets from different planets, we can say we got him from a pet trader," Ranmata said. He was dressed in baggy black pants and a tight fitting white vest. Under that he had a baggy long sleeved black shirt. His face was also hidden by a black face scarf hiding his black hair and nose and mouth. He pushed it down and explained to Kara.  
  
"Ok Herlin and Rela, women don't usually talk so keep quiet. Once we get inside we'll have to spend a few days before we can leave because the ship is a worthless piece of shi-"  
  
"No swearing," Tara interrupted him.  
  
"Trash," he covered up. "I'll have to pay the maintenance fees then we'll snag another ship and leave ok?"  
  
"Yup," Tara said happily. Kara grumbled and nodded. Ranmata picked up Tara and grabbed Kara's hand. The ship gave a slight jolt.   
  
"Won't they notice we changed?" Kara asked.  
  
"No the guy I talked to was blind, he wouldn't know the difference."  
  
The floor under them shivered then dropped slowly. A short lavender human shaped creature greeted them.   
  
"Hello! You must be the Daiyn!" he said happily. He was half the size of Ranmata and had a grey horn growing from his head. "Your names are?"  
  
"I am Grudy and this is my wife Herlin and my daughter Rela," Ranmata said easily. "Our ship requires some maintenance and fuel. I am not much of a machine man myself."  
  
"Don't worry sir," the little man said. "We here don't believe in over charging and our customers are top priority! We'll get you a room and send you the bill tomorrow."  
  
"Thank you so much!" Ranmata sounded relieved. "You do talk golden Volloars right? That's all I have."  
  
"Of course sir," his eye shone greedily. "I'll bring you to a room right away!"  
  
He led then through a maze of walls and doors that Ranmata seemed indifferent to but Kara was impressed. Fortunately her facemask hid it well. After a few minutes they stopped by one of the room. The man swiped a red card on the wall and it opened to a large purple painted room. Ranmata thanked him and pulled a few gold oval coins out of his sleeve and handed them to the man. He left them alone in the room.  
  
"Ok, we're safe now," Ranmata pulled the mask off. "Tara your room in through here."  
  
"Where's my room?" Kara asked as Tara ran off.   
  
"OUR room is right here," he pointed in another door.  
  
"OUR room?" Kara shrieked. "No way, where is MY room!"  
  
"I told you, OUR room is here," he pointed to the big king-size bed. "We are married you know."  
  
"No we are pretending to be married," she denied. "We didn't actually sleep in the same bed!"  
  
"Yes we do," Ranmata grinned. "We just don't have to do anything."  
  
"Ranmata, I'm hungry," Tara ran into their room. "Do I call you daddy?"  
  
"Yes princess," Ranmata smiled and picked her and settled her on his shoulder. "We Daiyn believe in strong family ties. You are Daddy's little girl ok? And your mommy over here is my loving and caring wife who has a few strange mood swings."  
  
"I'll show you mood swings," she growled balling her hands into fists. She swung at his face but her caught her palm.  
  
"Let's find the mess room ok," he grinned. "On the ship we can be less formal and not wear the masks but I still have to hide my image here. I've stayed here in over 10 disguises so people might recognise me. Just stay close ok?"  
  
"Ok daddy," Tara grinned as Joey jumped on Ranmata's other shoulder causing him to sneeze. When they left the room all people saw was a young Daiyn couple and their child and pet, not a wanted thief, two runaway subjects and a lost kitten. Well all except one person.  
  
"Sir!" a woman called through the diners crowded tables. Ranmata turned to the voice and quickly turned back with a funny expression on his face.  
  
"What?" Kara asked. "They are offering to share the table, let's go."  
  
"No," Ranmata said with a horrified expression on his face. "Not her, not now."  
  
"Why not?" Kara asked but her question was answered by a different person. The woman threaded her way through the crowd and appeared unannounced at Ranmata's ear.  
  
"Why hello stranger," she whispered in a seductive tone.  
  
"H-h-h-h-hi Whoi," Ranmata stammered nervously not facing her back stiff. "H-h-how are you doing?"  
  
"Oh just fine," she brushed a wing on his ear. Kara did a double take at the woman.   
  
She was dressed in revealing clothing, a skirt made from loose stripes of some animal skin, and a tight low-cut vest with gold bands around her tiny waist. Her hair was cut on a diagonal with the left side at her ear and the right at her elbow. She had an ivory crown on the dark brown hair and a red jewel pressed on her forehead. Heavy make-up and glittering gold jewellery and different jewels lined her neck and arms and a dozen earring hung on both sides of her head. A sheer veil covered her arms and face and on her feet were sandals with the laces going past her knees. The thing that caught her eyes was the two white wings and fuzzy white tail on her back.   
  
"D-dear this is Whoi," Ranmata stammered. "Whoi this is my wife Herlin and my daughter Rela."  
  
"You have a daughter and a...wife?" Whoi narrowed her eyes. "But I only saw you-"  
  
"Well, we'd better get going!" Ranmata said in a high squeaky voice. "Let's go honey!" he pushed her out the door and didn't stop until they reached the door.  
  
"Who the hell was that!" Kara demanded.  
  
"No swearing," Tara jumped from Ranmata's shoulder and ran off to her room again.  
  
"That was Whoi," Ranmata grinned nervously as Kara backed him against a wall. Her scowling face was inches from his quivering and sweating one. "We had a, a, a thing a few months ago."  
  
"I'm sure," Kara glared and leaned closer scowling in his eyes. he pushed himself further on the wall of their bedroom. Suddenly Kara realised how close they actually were. Blushing furiously she released him from her arms and hurried from the room. Ranmata sighed and dropped to the floor.  
  
* * *  
  
Goku was also in a tough spot with a female. Chichi had him up against a wall and was worming questions out of him.  
  
"Why where you training so late?"  
  
"Goten had to master a technique," Goku squeaked out.  
  
"WHY are you training so hard?"  
  
"King Kai said a new powerful enemy was coming in a few months."  
  
"Oh really," she growled low in her throat. "And WHEN exactly did he tell you this?"  
  
"I-I-I-I-I don't remember, I think I was eating," he crumbled. "Please don't hurt me."  
  
* * *  
  
"So the android has finished mapping," Nabukia glared into the darkness of space. "Now we can focus on finding that blasted Saiyan."  
  
"Yes Master," the quivering messenger replied his forehead touching the cold ground.  
  
"You are dismissed." The man jumped to his feet and hurried away. Nabukia spoke outloud to himself. "You can't hide forever Saiyan. Soon I will have you begging for mercy. Ranmata, you will die."  
  
* * *   
"How come YOU get the right side?" Kara asked grumpily as she flopped on the bed.   
  
"Because it has the light so you can't kill me in the night and it's closest to the door so no one can attack us."  
  
"Oh they can attack YOU!" Kara grinned wickedly. "But they just can't attack ME!"  
  
"That's right," Ranmata grumbled. "They can attack ME not YOU!"  
  
--------------------------------  
  
"I will find you Ranmata," Nabukia taunted Ranmata's dreams. "I will kill you and all the people with you."  
  
"Sure," Ranmata rolled his eyes.  
  
"Including Tara."  
  
"Leave Tara out of this," Ranmata snapped his eyes flashing.  
  
"Ah, you have a soft spot for 'Daddy's Little Girl' now do we? Well then I'll have to destroy Kara."  
  
As soon as the words left the his mouth Ranmata was on him punching and kicking at an alarming rate.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Kara was awakened when Ranmata started tossing and turning. She glanced over at him propped up on one arm. Hs face was twisted and his arms were clenched. She wondered what kind of dream he was having. Suddenly he leaned over to her and trapped her under him. She gulped as he wrapped his arms protectively around her. Then she realised that he was still asleep.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
"You will not harm one hair on their heads," Ranmata panted at the beat up body then smirked. "You forget, it is MY dream. If I want you to die you will. I'd beat it if I were you."  
  
Nabukia glared at him then evaporated into thin air. Ranmata relaxed and all dream vanished from his mind as he finally fell into a peaceful sleep.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Kara struggled to escape his warm embrace but to no success. Giving up she managed to roll so she was on his side. Deciding to make the best of it she rested her head on his bare chest and was lulled to sleep by his heart beat.  
  
* * *  
  
Elsewhere Nabukia touched his bruised face. For the first time light shone in the darkness outlining him. The twisted torn face shone clearly at the second in command. Red and blue veins pumped blood on the skinless figure, blue eyes stuck in the head held by exposed tissue and muscle, the blood-shot eyes burning in fury. The bony hands gripped the sides of the throne in hate the muscle clearly tense. The green amphibian at his feet recoiled in disgust. The jaw opened revealing the yellowed rotting teeth.  
  
"Find him and destroy him," the veins bulged on his head, faint white trances of the skull showing.  
  
"Right away Master," the man hurried from the room no longer able to control looking at him. Nabukia turned from the light so his body was invisible again.  
  
"Soon Saiyan, soon."  
  
  



	6. The Blood Trend...Begins

Chapter 6  
  
Ranmata woke up refreshed for once. He went to get up but a weight on his chest stopped him. Kara was cuddled in his arms, he hands resting beside her head and her long hazel hair spread on his chest. He went to move her still surprised at WHY she was there when he realised how right it felt. Instead he left her and gathered her body in his arms once again drifting off into a relaxed sleep.  
  
A few hours later a small grey head poked itself into the room followed by a chestnut haired one. Tara and Joey snuck to the side of the bed. Joey took no notice of the way the two sleepers where and jumped right in Ranmata's head jerking him awake. At his movement Kara also opened her eyes. The two realised how this looked to the little girl and blushing they jumped out of the bed on opposite sides.   
  
"Good morning!" Tara grinned wickedly. "Have a good sleep?"  
  
"How does a five year old know such things?" Ranmata wondered under his breath as he slipped the Daiyn clothes over his boxers. When he was finished Kara shooed the three of them out of the room. Joey jumped on Ranmata's shoulder who sneezed as the kitten cuddled with his cheek.   
  
"So how was my sister?" Tara asked snidely.  
  
"We didn't do anything," he blushed furiously. "And who are you, my mother? You're FIVE who do you know such things?"  
  
"I just do," Tara retorted and climbed on his other shoulder. Kara emerged just then and they set out for the diner to have breakfast. Ranmata and Kara avoided each other for as long as they could before they ran onto Whoi.  
  
"Hello Ranmata," she sneaked up behind him and snaked her tongue in his ear. He jumped and tore away from her grasp. He picked up Kara and kissed her passionately. Kara opened her eyes wide before relaxing into his kiss. Breaking away he steered her to a free table away from Whoi.  
  
"Er, menu please," he asked a passing waiter. Kara looked dazed and Tara grinned happily. Ranmata blushed furiously making his ears turn bright pink. Whoi was not to be ignored.  
  
She walked up to him smiling and swaying her hips. When he was distracted translating the menu for his 'wife' she dropped into his lap and grabbed his face.   
  
"Hello there," she growled and pressed her lips against his. He pushed her away.  
  
"Whoi, I'm married now ok?" he asked desperate for her to leave. "Shoo."  
  
Whoi snorted and stood up. Sticking her nose in the air she walked over to a random man, probably some solider and sat on his lap. Ranmata sighed in relief.   
  
* * *   
  
"Android Tranculus, your new masters will arrive in a few Earth months in the country of Canada. Start to kill of the fighters but leave the Saiyans, half-blood, full blood or even if they have half a drop of Saiyan blood in them leave them alive. Be ready."  
  
"Yes sir," Tranculus clicked off the transmitter. Time for some fun. He hovered in the air over a house he had found. Inside was one of the Earth fighters, his wife and his daughter. His sentient side fell bad for killing the wife, an android like himself. Oh well, can't have everything. He watched the blonde girl out in the lawn. Better get started.  
  
Krillin was inside the house when he was alerted by Marron's screams. He blasted through the walls outside to see the horrifying site. The monster they had destroyed was standing over his daughter his hand plunged through her neck. Krillin watched as Tranculus dropped the body, blood sprouting from the hole and dripped from his now red glove.  
  
Krillin felt rage come over him. "You, you, you monster," he growled. "I will kill you!" he launched at Tranculus who caught his head. Before Krillin could react Tranculus had swung him on his back and jammed his giant knee in his back. Krillin could have swore he heard the evil android whisper to him.  
  
"I'm sorry," Tranculus whispered as he snapped Krillin's neck for a quick death. Then as proof of his intentions he crushed the head in his hand. He looked sadly at the blood pouring from the crushed bone. Sighing he mauled both bodies until they weren't recognisable then carried the remains to the cave.   
  
18 walked outside to get her daughter and husband for dinner. What she saw instead was the blood soaked grass. She looked in shock as she knelt down beside the earth and picked up a small white piece of blood drenched bone. "Krillin. Marron."  
  
She looked in hatred at the sky. "I swear, whoever did this, I'll kill you, slowly and painfully." Then she left the ground tears forming is her eyes. She brushed them angrily away and shot off towards the Son house.  
  
* * *   
  
"Thank you," Ranmata looked over the piece of paper containing the information about the space ship. He shut the door to the messenger and growled as he looked at the bill. "Lousy, good for nothing little pieces of shit!"  
  
"No swearing," Tara stepped into the room. Kara followed her.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"These guy expect me to pay 10 000 Volloars for a stupid piece of crap-"  
  
"Ah ham," Tara coughed.  
  
"Piece of junk," Ranmata corrected himself. "No fuc- way."  
  
"Don't you have it?" Kara yawned.  
  
"Yes," he growled. "But no way in hell- heck am I paying it. I can fix it for less then 200! That's it, after tonight we're outta here. I'll scout for ships."  
  
"Do it tomorrow," Kara said crossly. "It's already time for us to go to sleep."  
  
"Fine," he stalked to the bedroom. Tara shook her head and carried Joey to her bedroom. Kara sighed and followed Ranmata. When she got there he had already changed and was in bed. She quickly slipped on the complimentary nightgown and got on her side of the bed. Ranmata drifted off immedently but she couldn't sleep.   
  
* The kiss today, * she thought. * It didn't mean anything, did it? * she milled over this for a while before falling into a restless dream.  
  
-----------------------------------------   
  
"Hello Kara," a cold voice greeted her. She looked around.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked. The figure stepped so the faintest shadow outline met her eyes.  
  
"I am your death," the voice said with a delight that chilled her to the bone. Then he stepped out of the darkness. Kara really wished he hadn't.  
  
The skinless man watched her with innocent looking blue eyes. Veins pumped the red blood through his body, muscles were visible to the eye to watch strain and contract. Stomach, liver, spleen, bladder, brain, it was like the textbook from hell. Kara backed against the wall as the figure stood over her.  
  
His bony hand, barely covered in flesh, reached over and caressed her cheek. She recoiled from the slimy cold feeling and he removed his hand. "Young, beautiful, I was once like you. A human stranded in space, stolen from my only home. I was a project of the Badftie too, only I was not rescued by a Saiyan. They did this too me. For the better good they said. Of course I didn't agree but what choice did I have? Races stood by and watched, some took note of the pain I was in. they did it in front of the whole universe. An experiment."  
  
Kara watched as the eyes switched their gaze from her to no where. "Saiyan's, Daiyn, Badftie, Angelo, Changeling, what's the difference? They all watched the lab rat suffer. All enjoyed watching the skin peel from my body, my blood pout, my veins pop in front of them. But worst of all was the Saiyans. They watched the whole thing. And laughed. I will never forget them. They were right there reaching for the blood to hit their hand. The children laughing at me as if they were at a carnival. It wasn't Freeza that destroyed the Saiyans. It was me.   
  
"I told him about the legendary Super Saiyan. Told him about the harm they would cause. Talked him into destroying them all. But he kept some alive. Five full blooded ones, maybe more. How many infants where sent out in space to conquer planets?   
  
"Kakarot, or should I say Son Goku? He hit his head as a child and became gentle as a lamb. The Prince who did some of the work for me by killing his partner. For that he will die first and quickly. Goten and Gohan, spawn of Goku and Chichi. They will all die next. Trunks and Bra, beloved Prince and Princess. They will be next. Then their mother Bulma Briefs. Pan and Videl, daughter and wife of Gohan.  
  
"And of course I can't forget the rest of their friends, Krillin who has been...disposed already, his wife 18 daughter Marron. Yamcha the desert bandit and his cat, Muten Roshi and his pig Oolong. Piccolo and Dende the Nameks, Yajirobe, Tein, Chouzu. Then, then I will take the real prize.  
  
"Ranmata the Black Shadow," he grinned with lust. "Oh how I will make him scream with pain. Slowly, slowly, I will kill your sister Tara, then the cat Joey. Then you. Oh wait I think I'll kill Tara, you then Ranmata. Let him watch his loved ones squirm and scream in pain, and let him watch me laugh as his father did. Let him watch you die my dear."  
  
Kara watched in horror as he stroked her face with his tendons. "Oh, and don't forget the scream when you wake up."  
  
------------------------------------------   
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kara shot up in the bed. She quivered like a leaf as Ranmata shot up too. Sobs filled his ears as Kara collapsed on his shoulder tears running down her face.  
  
"Good thing the rooms are sound proof," he muttered as he wrapped his arms around her. He rubbed her back to comfort her as her sobbing slowed. Finally she could look a this gasping for breath. "What happened?"  
  
"I saw the most terrible thing," she choked out burying her face in his shoulder trying to erase the image and words of the monster. He rubbed her back again as she took a deep breath and continued. "He had no skin and he told me things about his past."  
  
At the words 'no skin' Ranmata stiffened. Then he growled. Muttering one word Kara didn't think she could ever feel so mush hatred come form one person. "Nabukia."  
  
Kara looked at him. "You know him?"  
  
"Yes, I was his worker, no slave is a better word. I escaped him years ago but he still follows me in my dreams. If he visits yours again remember. It's YOUR dream. Beat the crap out of him, when he leaves he'll still be injured."  
  
"Thanks," Kara sighed still leaning on his chest. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her back down to the bed wrapping her safely in his arms. He waited until she had fallen asleep again before grimly slipping off into his own dream.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
"Nabukia!" Ranmata screamed a challenge. Of course the skin-less devil appeared.  
  
"You rang?" he asked nastily.  
  
"Stay," Ranmata punched him in the gut. "away," he round house kicked his head. "from," he planted both hands on his skull. "Kara!" he drove both feet into the withered black heart.   
  
  



	7. Golden Fluke?

Chapter 7  
  
"Sir Veggie!" Zergon raced up the stairs to the bedroom. "Sir Veggie wake up!"  
  
Zergon burst through the door and landed on Vegeta's head. He jerked sending Zergon onto Bulma. She jumped up too, the sheet covering her chest. Zergon bowed to her then turned to Vegeta.  
  
"What is it?" Vegeta rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Sir Veggie, Sir Kakarot wishes an audience with you!"  
  
"Kakarot?" Vegeta sighed. "What the hell does he want?"  
  
"I shall 'keep his busy'?" Zergon used a phrase Vegeta always used with Kakarot.  
  
"Sure, just give me a minute," Vegeta swung his legs over the side of the bed.  
  
"As you wish Sir Veggie," Zergon bowed and dashed from the room.  
  
"Vegeta you sure have tolerance with that fuzz ball," Bulma commented as Vegeta got dressed.  
  
"It's a Glaiver," Vegeta corrected her. "And he's the one who shows me respect, I couldn't give a damn what happens to HIM!"  
  
"Sure Vegeta," Bulma smiled as she got up too.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranmata woke up first to a very satisfying morning. He gently shook Kara awake. The he went to Tara's room to find her and Joey fast asleep. He picked her up and moved her to his bedroom where Kara was just standing up.  
  
"Why did you not wake her up?" Kara asked as he laid the little girl on the bed.  
  
"It's still fairly early, I just have to scout out ships," he replied. He pulled on the disguise and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."  
  
She watched as he left her and Tara alone. Joey silently padded into the room and jumped on the bed for a quick catnap. Kara sighed and leaned back on the pillows.  
  
Ranmata walked through the hallways until he reached the docking bay. Looking around in interest he saw three uniformed men inspecting the ship he had come on. Grimly he sneaked passed them to a large panel behind a gigantic grey ship. He leaned on it and knocked. Three long, one short and three in a rapid beat. Then he kicked it and whispered the password.  
  
"From dreaded spaces I come here to say, I am a great big horny monkey." The door opened and he stepped inside.  
  
"Monks!" the slick haired Daiyn greeted him. "How's it been?"  
  
"Ok actually," he grinned back. "You got a ship scouted for three people?"  
  
"Three?" the Daiyn asked. "What'd you do, start a family?"  
  
"That's what they think," he grinned. "Note the get up? I'm a Daiyn with a wife, daughter and cat."  
  
"Room 3245?" he asked. "I thought you looked familiar. You came on the Badftie ship? Piece of crap if you ask me."  
  
"Yea," he nodded. "And they recognised it. So anything Berily?"  
  
"Yea, I might," Berily rubbed his chin. "When do you want to leave?"  
  
"Today," he replied. "I really don't' want to have to pay the repair bills on a stolen vehicle."  
  
"Don't' worry Monks, we'll get you out of here," he grinned and patted Ranmata's shoulder. "First let's find your family."  
  
They walked through a few cramped vents before they came to the bedroom. Kara was dozing on the bed with Tara and Joey asleep beside her. Berily unscrewed the vent but Ranmata held a finger to his lips.  
  
"I want to freak her out."  
  
Berily grinned and switched tools so the grate slid silently off. Ranmata lowered himself down so they couldn't see then snuck up behind her. Touching Kara's shoulder gently he ducked on the ground so she looked around in confusion. Shrugging it off she glanced at Tara then closed her eyes again. Ranmata smiled and covered her mouth. She eyes snapped open and she struggled until she saw who her attacker was.   
  
"Ranmata!' she swatted his hand away. "That was not funny!"  
  
"Sure it was!" he laughed. Then he shook Tara awake. "Ok, get your things together, I just need to scout out the ship then I'll be back."  
  
Jumping back up to the vent he and Berily crawled back to the ships.  
  
Kara grumbled and changed. Tara followed her and changed too. They walked out to the front room and Kara angrily plopped into the plush chair. Tara settled for the floor.   
  
"Stupid Ranmata," Kara grumbled. "How immature. Why when I get a hold of him-" but her descriptive plan on how to kill Ranmata was cut off when a dark figure grabbed her mouth. She bit the hand and her attacker jumped away in pain. "I won't fall for it twice!" she turned around expecting to see Ranmata.  
  
"You only need to fall for it once sweet cheeks," the masked alien grinned evil as he pulled out a gleaming knife. Kara whipped around to see Tara being held by another masked figure. Joey, loyal to his mistress, was hissing and spitting at the aggressor, attacking his arms.  
  
A flow of curses filled the room as Kara and Joey were held down. The foul breath stank up Kara's nose as the man whispered in her ear.  
  
"Hi ya beautiful," he grinned. "We are gonna have fun while we're waiting for the boss." Kara growled and slammed her foot on his, making him howl with pain as he let go and hopped around the room. Another cloaked figure grabbed her and held her legs down. The man (We'll call him Ryan because I can't think of more words to describe him) stopped holding his foot and approached the smirking Kara.  
  
"You think that was funny?"  
  
"Yes," Kara grinned.  
  
"I'll show you funny," the man raised his fist. It impacted on her face hard. She whimpered in pain refusing to cry out. Even so a tear of pain trickled down the sore cheek.  
  
"Ranmata."  
  
  
  
  
Ranmata's head snapped up as if he heard. "Kara."  
  
"What about her?" Berily asked. They were inspecting ships and Ranmata had finally settled on one of them.  
  
"She's in trouble," he narrowed his eyes. His dark blue aura surrounded him as he shot though the vents. Twisting and turning, if Ranmata was seeing straight even he would have been terrified at the cramped tunnels he was weaving down at break-neck speed. Jamming to a spot by his room he saw a sight that made his blood boil.  
  
Kara was trapped in a dark figures arms. Another's foot held Tara to the ground and Joey was held in the air by the same attacker. Ryan's hand was raised for another blow and Ranmata shot through the vent. The three men paused as they saw Ranmata glared at then, rage pumping through his veins his pupils barely visible.  
  
"Leave. Them. ALONE!" his hair flashed colours and he launched at the men in a blazing golden light. One punch and the men were on the ground holding ruined bloody faces. Ranmata picked them up and through them down the hallway.  
  
His hair returned to normal and he dashed to Kara. He looked at her concerned and gently touched her cheek. She looked at him and dropped to his arms in relief.  
  
"You came," she sighed.  
  
Tara launched onto his other arm and Joey crawled on his shoulder. Joey's tail snaked under his nose and he sneezed, making Kara and Tara giggle. He chuckled and stood up. "Let's go," he smiled at them.   
  
They walked through the hallways not the vents. Everywhere they went, people were talking about a mysterious power reading. Ranmata stopped a pink-feathered alien.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked.   
  
"All the scouters blew up!" the alien exclaimed excitedly. "A few minutes ago every single scouter, on or off, on the ship or tractor beam or at least 500.435 Earth feet blew up after getting a reading of over a million! Everyone thinks Freeza is back!"  
  
"Oh," Ranmata said shocked. "A-a million?"  
  
White faced he dragged Kara and Tara to the docking bay. Berily met him. "Password is hamburger in Limba but I don't speak it."  
  
"I do," Ranmata grinned. "Oh and that big power level was me!"  
  
"WHAT!" Berily shrieked as he opened the ship and waved as the door shut.  
  
"Brace yourself!" Ranmata dashed to the controls. Firing up the engines he paused as a ship came in. Tara and Kara grabbed the door as Ranmata watched calmly as the door closed. People ran around under him trying to bolt the ship to the ground. "I don't think so little people," he said grimly as his chance came.  
  
Pulling the lever back and punching a few buttons he shot through the vacuum hold. Once inside the doors closed. Making sure it was empty he fired the red lasers at the door of the ship blasting it off. The ship was sucked out and tumbled into space. Kara slid down the floor and rammed into Ranmata almost knocking him to the ground before he caught her with one arm.   
  
Righting the ship he dodged the attack from the spaceport and poured all speed into the thrusters shooting them deep in the cold black endless sky.  
  
* * *   
  
18 landed outside of the Son house. Gathering her breath she knocked on the door. Goten answered it.  
  
"Hi 18!" Goten said brightly. "Where's Krillin and Marron?"  
  
"That's why I came," she sighed. "They're dead."  
  
"What!" Goten's jaw opened so wide 18 thought it would hit the ground. He opened the door the rest of the way and let her inside. Chichi greeted her warmly.  
  
"So why are you here 18?" Chichi poured her a cup of coffee. "How is Marron?"  
  
"Dead, last time I checked," 18 sighed and took the cup. Chichi looked at her in awe then fainted.  
  
"Sorry about that," Goten finally arrived in the room. "She does that sometimes." He picked her up and put her on her bed. "Let's go find my dad."  
  
"Let's," 18 set down the empty cup and they both left.  
  
* * *   
  
"WHAT!" Vegeta yelled at Goku. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS SOONER!"  
  
"I don't know," Goku shrugged. "I kinda forgot WHEN they would get here and I thought you'd be mad at me. Anyway, you didn't let me talk yesterday."  
  
"Here you go Sir Veggie and Sir Goku," Zergon walked in with a large drink for both of them.  
  
"Thank you Zergon," Vegeta said automatically. Goku looked at him in surprise.  
  
"Vegeta, did, did you just say, thank you?"  
  
"Yes, so?" Vegeta said grumpily. Then Goten popped his head in followed by 18.  
  
"Hi guys, what's up?" Goku asked cheerfully.  
  
"Bad news," Goten said. "Krillin and Marron where killed."  



	8. Old Friends Returned

Chapter 8  
  
Ranmata, Tara, Kara and Joey were now out in space as they wanted to be on a direct course to Earth. The only problem now was the boredom. Tar and Joey were taking a nap while Kara and Ranmata were in the Med Lab.  
  
"Owowowowow," Kara whined as Ranmata looked at her face. "That HURTS!"  
  
"I know," he ignored her howls. She glared at him as he finished puting the bandage one. "There, that should hold it."  
  
"So," Kara started as he helped her off the table. "How did you do that hair job so fast?"  
  
"What?" he asked confused and looked at his black hair.   
  
"Back in the spaceport you came out of the vent with blonde hair," she explained. "Now it's black again."  
  
"It, it was blonde?" his eyes opened wide as he took in the information. "No way in HELL am I the Legendary Super Saiyan." He left the room quickly with Kara trailing behind him.   
  
"What are you looking for?" she asked as he rummaged through his bag.  
  
"Who," he corrected her as he pulled out a black square machine. "This is Nerfa."  
  
"I've been meaning to ask you, who IS Nerfa?" Kara asked.  
  
Ranmata stood up and carried the machine to the main controls. As soon as it was in contact with the board wire shot out of it and lashed it to the screen.  
  
"Nerfa is my main computer," he answered. "Nerfa would you please scan all recorded bio records for Saiyan and give me all related articles on Super Saiyans?"  
  
"Scanning," the computer said.  
  
"I found her on a planet," he explained to Kara. "Some idiot had stuffed her in a junk sale and I got her really cheap. After a bit of elbow grease I had her up and running. Now she comes wherever I go and she holds all my information."  
  
"What else do you have in there?" Kara asked peering into his bag.  
  
"This is my scouter," he held up the blue glassed object. "Used for finding a person's fighting power and position, this changes my voice as you know, this can find any lock combination in five minutes," he pulled out a small gun-like weapon. The handle had a blue screen that flashed numbers. "This little babies are my own little creation."  
  
"What are they?" Kara asked as he pulled out a small black case.  
  
"I call them Bugs," he answered. Inside the case was a green screen surrounded by ten blue buttons. Around the screen were ten little objects that looked a whole lot like flies. "Every one has them. They are modelled after a real bug so to not act suspicions. The real insects originated from a planet that ahs no name or sentient life. They got into an explorer's ship and they carried them all around space. I have yet to find a planet with out them."  
  
"What are they?" she asked again.  
  
"Spy cameras," he answered. "No one notices them."  
  
* * *  
  
Tranculus watched from his hiding spot. He found the large towering the sky easily. He planed his crime on the ageing white cat and eating man. After picking a route for the blood fest he sighed. He asked himself the same question over and over. Why?  
  
Of course he had answered the question many times. They would kill everyone. If he disobeyed they would blow him up and kill everyone with in 10 million miles. He thought that sacrificing a few would lessen the blow. He fingered the device on his neck absentmindedly. Time to get it over with.  
  
Karin looked over the patch of new Senzu bean as Yajirobe pushed the chips into his greedy mouth.  
  
"These should do," Karin sighed. "Man I wish I had more to do then garden stupid bean for the Saiyans."  
  
"You are insane man," Yajirobe munched. "This is the life. No work, TV all day, all the food I can eat, this is heaven!"  
  
"I guess," Karin nodded sadly. "I just wish-" his sentence was cut off with a slight gurgle. Karin kneeled over and for the first time his eyes opened in shock. Yajirobe looked at his body in horror as the crimson blood pooled around his face staining his fur. The stick he always carried clattered to the ground beside him.  
  
Yajirobe looked around in fright. A lonely wind brushed across the silent platform. He dropped the forgotten chips to the ground as he spotted the killer.  
  
"I'm sorry," Tranculus muttered as he walked up to Yajirobe. The fat man fell to his knees and gazed at the huge android in shock. Tranculus gave his a friendly smile as he reached to Yajirobe's beefy neck and painlessly snapped it in half. "Nabukia," Tranculus glared into the sky. "I may have to kill these people but I will make their deaths as painless as possible. You will regret the day you put these human emotions in me."  
  
Then he picked up the two bodies and left the lookout point. The only evidence of his visit was a small puddle of blood in that was already starting to disappear into the dark earth that Karin had been tending. And a small pair of watchful eyes.  
  
"So," Herman glared at the Senzu patch. "This is his plan." Herman gathered the beans and placed them in a bag. "I am sorry brother. But your death will not be in vain. I will help the humans survive." Then with a flash for bright light the wind was left alone with the deserted tower.  
  
* * *   
  
"It doesn't make sense," Gohan muttered. The people surrounding him where all thinking the same thing. Who would want to kill Krillin and Marron? Bulma, Chichi, 18, Pan, Bra, Trunks, Goten, Vegeta, Zergon, Gohan, Videl and Goku were all in Capsule Corp trying to make sense of the murders.  
  
"Maybe I can help," a voice startled them all. A white cat sat it the centre of the room. "This killer is a perfect android. He can absorb any attack, physical or chi, he thinks on his own and is pretending to be loyal to his master, he has no weaknesses, he never tires, is distracted or has to eat or drink. You can not defeat him."  
  
"Herman?" Vegeta asked.   
  
  



	9. Triple Homicide...On So Many Levels

Chapter 9  
  
"Hello Vegeta," Herman smiled. "I think you met my counter-self in another timeline. I am Karin's brother, Herman as you know. I have...powers."  
  
"So," Gohan shrugged. "Why are you here now?"  
  
"I am here to tell you, Yajirobe and Karin are now part of the list of deceased."  
  
"What!" Goku jumped from his seat. "Karin? Yajirobe? Who did it?"  
  
"Remember Tranculus and Olios?" Herman asked.   
  
"How can we forget?" Trunks snorted.  
  
"Well, as you know, Olios was completely destroyed. But unfortunately Tranculus was not. Tranculus is an android, he is the killer."  
  
"But he was never that smart," Goten argued. "We can trick him easily."  
  
"No, you see an army of mindless drones seems like the perfect army right? But if the person controlling the army is away from it for too long, it will remain motionless and will rust, or another will use it. If that army falls into the wrong hands it can be an indestructible enemy. Tranculus has a personality implanted in him. If the controller, Olios, is destroyed it is activated and the android can think. But this also has a downside."  
  
"The android can destroy allies," Gohan thought outloud.   
  
"Yes," Herman nodded. "But in this case not allies. Olios was not the real enemy. His boss, a human named Nabukia, is the real challenge."  
  
"A human?" Vegeta laughed. "Well a mere human can not defeat us!"  
  
"True," Herman said. "But his is no mere human. He used to be a biology teacher in a collage on Earth. His human name was David Solomon. He was kidnapped by a race called the Badftie. They steal the natives on planets to use in a few ways. To experiment on them, put them on display or to educate them. David was an experiment.   
  
"He was a project to see how they can cure old wounds from wars and such. It worked. At least for them. David was able to live without any skin on him and he can heal instantly. His power level is close to nothing but he developed in a new way. In order to heal he gained the use of having total control of his body. During the procedure he gained a dislike for a few races.  
  
"Vegeta, you think Freeza destroyed your planet. Think again. Freeza know about the legend sure, but he thought nothing of it, it was a rumour to him. But the only reason he started to think about it was because of Nabukia. He has the ability to cross into dreams. He spent a lot of energy and time convincing Freeza to take Vegeta and blow up the rest of the planet.   
  
"You don't know it Vegeta but you have a device in you. Once, when you were training on Freeza's ship, remember the series of needles they gave you?"  
  
"Yes," Vegeta frowned. "That doctor kept me for an hour poking me with several needles but they were vaccines."  
  
"There was only 25 vaccines if you recall," Herman smiled grimly. "All the other children received 25 but you got 26. One was a viewing device. For the entire period of your life, Nabukia has been watching you. He knows all about you, anyone you've met, power levels, memories, who you are closest too. In fact he is watching right now."  
  
At that everybody straightened and looked around for a pair of eyes. Herman sighed annoyed. "Not here! He sees you as Vegeta sees you!"  
  
"You mean he's watched us-" Bulma stopped red in the face.  
  
"Yes," Herman said. "He is heading to Earth now."  
  
"How do you know this?" Goku asked.   
  
"He's been in my dreams," Herman smiled. "Once I've met a person my powers let me know every secret they know."  
  
"WHAT!" everybody in the room yelled.   
  
"Don't worry I'm very trustworthy," he chuckled. Then his face turned grim. "But there was one secret he was blocking. He has a certain hate for one Saiyan, but I don't know who. Not anyone on Earth but he seems to want to kill this person too."  
  
"When did you say he was coming?" Vegeta asked politely. Goku looked at him surprised.  
  
"I didn't," Herman smiled. "He will be here in 6 months, but he has sent his best fighters before him. They will get here in 4 months. I suggest you start training. Oh and you Saiyans have nothing to worry about but Tranculus is after anybody and everybody you are close to, your mates, friends, anyone with a fighting level above 3 they you are close to. And please don't hate Tranculus for what he is doing. He has too or the fate of a few million sentient lifeforms will die."  
  
Then Herman disappeared in a flash of light they made even Vegeta and Goku cover their eyes. When they regained their sight Trunks was the one to break the silence.  
  
"Er, let's plan?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
"So they know," Nabukia smiled as well as he could. "This Herman... he is interesting. I will never contact him again. Tranculus is doing his job. For now. I will have to keep an eye on him."  
  
* * *   
  
"Ranmata. Can you tell me another story?" Tara asked looking at him from her seat on his lap.  
  
Ranmata gulped down the rest of the dish he was eating and picked up another plate. "You mean you didn't learn your lesson last time with the Yowling?"   
  
"Nope!" Tara flashed a grin. "Plus, you're here to save me!"  
  
Ranmata grinned despite himself. He swallowed the rest of his mouthful and tipped a glass of something down his throat. Tara looked up at him pathetically.  
  
"It's you fault you know," he smiled. "You know when you give me that look I can't refuse."  
  
"I know!" she grinned. "This time I want it to be about a girl! Not a wussy boy!"  
  
"Wussy boy?" Ranmata tried to sound offended. "I'm a boy!"  
  
"No, you're a Saiyan!" she grinned. Joey walked up to them and jumped on Ranmata's shoulder, who let out a sneeze. Kara entered the room and plopped on the ground.   
  
"Hi Kara," Ranmata picked up Joey and placed him on the floor. Joey would have none of this and leapt back on his shoulder cuddling with his cheek. Ranmata sighed and sneezed again as Joey's tail brushed the bottom of his nose.  
  
"Hi," she greeted him. "So what are you doing?"  
  
"Ranmata is going to tell me a scary story!" Tara grinned.   
  
"Sure," Ranmata sighed. "But not here. Let's go to my room and get more comfortable."  
  
"Hey Ranmata?" Kara asked as they left the door. "Where am I going to sleep?"  
  
"In my room," he grinned sheepishly. "There was only three bedrooms, two adult and one child but when we left the second adult one got busted up."  
  
"What," she growled low in her throat as Ranmata opened another door. They walked into the room with Kara fuming furiously and Ranmata glowing a vibrate shade of red. They settled on the large bed and Ranmata began his tale.  
  
"This is a story my older sister told me..."  
  
* * *  
  
Tranculus looked at the three people. This was child's play! A midget monk, bald triclops and a weak woman. "But still," Tranculus sighed and cursed his sentimental side. "They didn't do anything to me."  
  
Lunchi didn't see the dark shadow covering the sun in the sky. Nor did she see the orange chi blast that ended her life. Tein and Chouzu stopped sparing as soon as they saw Lunchi kneel over and land face first in the stew she was cooking. Tein ran over to her and lifted her face.   
  
Chouzu gasped as he saw the red blood leaking through the hole in the back of her neck. Then the sun was blocked out. Tein looked up to see Tranculus, hand raised and the light of the blast only just fading.   
  
"You," he growled. "You did this."  
  
"Yes," Tranculus sighed. "I did. Please tell my other victims I'm sorry when you see them in heaven?"  
  
Tein jumped at the android fist raised. He tried to slam his blow into Tranculus's neck but it was blocked by a huge hand. Tein gasped the tried again. This was blocked too. He attacked in a flurry of kicks and punches aimed at any weak points a human would have but all of them were blocked.  
  
Tein stopped and wiped the sweat from his brow glaring at Tranculus in hate. Tein jumped back at the large android trying to catch him off guard.  
  
Chouzu shook Lunchi's should even though he knew nothing would wake her. He gathered any courage he could find and looked up at the fight in a grim realisation. He knew Tein couldn't kill this enemy. He also knew that the Saiyans would never find them anytime soon and someone had to warn them. Chouzu watched as Tein was thrown to the ground.  
  
Taking a deep breath Chouzu snuck into the woods to avoid attention. In his mind he told Tein of his plan.  
  
~ Tein, I'm going to warn Goku! ~ Chouzu said as he ran hoping that Tein was still alive to hear the answer.  
  
~ Go, ~ Tein spat the blood from his mouth as he stood shakily to his feet. ~ I'll hold him off. ~  
  
~ Good luck Tein, ~ Chouzu said as he ran.  
  
~ You too Chouzu, ~ Tein prepared to launch another attack on the mammoth.   
  
"Ready to die?" Tein taunted Tranculus.  
  
"I'm afraid you'll be the one to die," Tranculus gave him a watery grin. "Them I'm going to have to kill your friend as soon as I find him."  
  
"You'll have to get through me first," Tein tried to sound tougher then he was feeling right now. He closed his eye s concentrating. Suddenly he let out a yell and split into three forms. "I mean US!"  
  
Chouzu finally made it to the end of the woods. He stopped and gasped for breath. Then he pushed down his power level even more and took to the air, taking huge jumped over the barren landscape.  
  
  
Tein fell to the ground and his three forms smashed into him. Tein managed to flip himself over and look at the android. Tein wasn't surprised to find him hovering there calm and not even in a sweat.  
  
"You may have beaten me," he pushed passed his bloody throat. He coughed and spat it out. "But you will never beat Son Kun."  
  
"Goku will never know you are dead," Tranculus said.   
  
"You forgot someone," Tein grinned despite the intense pain he was in. "Goku will find out. And you never want to get Goku mad."  
  
"The little mime," Tranculus muttered to himself. "Well your little friend can't hide for long."  
  
"Long enough," Tein grinned Tranculus landed on the ground beside him and grabbed the front of his shirt.  
  
"What do you mean?" Tranculus growled. Tein frowned and closed his eyes. Tranculus looked at his curiously.  
  
"SOLAR FLARE!" Tein yelled blinding him. Tranculus dropped Tein in pain and clutched his eyes. Still in agony, he shot a small blast from his hand that hit Tein right in the chest disintegrating the lower part of his heart. He fell back blood sprouting from his chest and managed to gasp out three words, outloud and in his mind.  
  
"Good luck, Chouzu," he gasped then his eyes closed for the last time.   
  
  
  
~ Good luck, Chouzu, ~ Tein's voice reached the short ex-Emperor's mind. Tears ran freely down his face as he realised what the message meant. He poured more energy into his speed now not caring what his power level was.   
  
Finally he saw the city in the distance. His face perked up and he reached a new level of fast. He blazed through the town scattering litter, people and cars. He didn't stop until he saw the Capsule Corp building. He slowed to a normal speed and caught his breath. He reached for the door handle but a body suddenly blocked the way.  
  
"I don't think so," Tranculus's voice taunted as he grabbed the tiny fighter. Chouzu managed to let out a terrified scream before his neck snapped and his body was carried off. Goku looked out the front door wondering who had screamed.   
  
"Oh no," he said quietly as he saw part of Chouzu's hat laying on the ground soaked in blood. "He got Tein and Chouzu."  
  
  



	10. Ball Games and Beaches

Chapter 10  
  
"Aw, nothing like a good day on the beach!" Roshi picked up his bag.  
  
"So many women, so little time," Oolong agreed. They both eagerly stepped out in on the small beach.   
  
"See ya soon Turtle!" Master Roshi and Oolong climbed into the air car.  
  
Turtle just sighed and returned to his nap. Once he was safely inside his shell he couldn't hear the cries of terror or see the flashes of blood that caused the old Seishi and pig to be the next victims of Tranculus. A few hours later though, he looked out of his shell and saw the air car, still running and it didn't look like it had moved.  
  
Curious Turtle walked over to it and looked inside. He jumped back as he saw the red glasses Roshi always wore sitting in a puddle of crimson red blood.   
  
* * *  
  
"We have to warn the others," Gohan paced. "Piccolo, Dende, Master Roshi-"  
  
"We get it!" Goten yelled. "We have to split up."  
  
"I'll take Dende," Goku offered.  
  
"I have to find Piccolo," Gohan muttered under his breath.  
  
"Ok then," Bulma took charge of the meeting. "Trunks you go warn Master Roshi, Goten go find Uubu, Pan and Bra go to Yamcha, Vegeta go tell...um..."  
  
"17," 18 spoke up. "He'll be after my brother too."  
  
"Ok, go find 17," Bulma told her husband.  
  
"But what about you guys?" Gohan asked. "With us gone who's going to stop Tranculus from getting you?"  
  
"Vegeta stay here, I'll tell 17," 18 said. "He wouldn't trust Vegeta anyway."  
  
"But if you run into Tranculus-" Chichi started.  
  
"Then I run into Tranculus," she said. "If I'm not back in a few hours I'm dead and don't look for me."  
  
Then the blonde cyborg left before someone could protest. Bulma sighed then shoved the rest of the people out the door. Chichi and Bulma were silent for a minute then at the same time burst out wailing.  
  
Vegeta took a step back in surprise then cursed under his breath. "Damn weak humans, what am I supposed to do now?"  
  
* * *  
  
When Trunks arrived at Turtle Island he was not greeted with joy. In fact he wasn't greeted at all.   
  
"Master Roshi?" he walking into the house. "Oolong? Turtle?"  
  
"In here!" the rough voice turned Trunks attention to a blocked door. He easily opened it, breaking the wooden planks and pushing the furniture out of the way. He saw Turtle huddled in his shell. Trunks then knew what had happened.  
  
"Tranculus was here," he muttered. He lifted the giant tortoise with one hand and grimly flew off to Capsule Corp.  
  
* * *  
  
"Dende!" Goku called as he landed. "Mr. Popo! Anybody home?"  
  
"Hi Goku," the short fat black gardener greeted the Saiyan. "Dende was wondering when you would get here."  
  
"Mr.Popo," Goku grinned in relief. "Tranculus hasn't been here?"  
  
"Not yet!" he said happily. "Oh look, here comes Dende!"  
  
"Hi Goku!" the Namek greeted him. "I was waiting for you!"  
  
"You know what's happening," Goku frowned. "Well, I'm here to take you guys to a safe place."  
  
"To Capsule Corp?" Dende asked. "But I belong here!"  
  
"I know, but Tranculus made it to Karin's lookout, he can make it here!" Goku protested.  
  
"You only want to take us to Capsule Corp because of the protection," Dende argued. "Bring everyone here."  
  
"Actually..." Goku milled over this. "That's not a bad idea. But how do we tell everybody to meet here? Oh, I got it! I'll power up and they'll come here to see what's wrong!"  
  
Goku stood in the typical power up position but Dende stopped him. "Wait until everybody has finished finding everybody."  
  
"Good idea," Goku grinned.  
  
* * *   
  
"Pan, how can you be so heartless!" Bra scolded her friend as they flew along. "Marron was our friend and Krillin was a like family to you! How can you not care?"  
  
"I do care," Pan didn't change her stone face. She turned slightly to see Bra's tear swollen eyes. "But we can't grieve right now until we avenge their deaths."  
  
Bra turned silent and drop to fly behind Pan. There was a tense silence between them before Pan announced that they were there. They dropped into the baseball field. Pan looked around for Yamcha when a voice called to them both.  
  
"LOOK OUT!" the player yelled. Pan ignored him and caught the flying ball in her bare hand. She lightly tossed it to the outfielder then spotted the very person she was looking for.  
  
"Yamcha!" she grabbed Bra's arm and dragged her to the bench. "Hi ya Yamcha!"  
  
"Hi Pan, Bra, what are you doing here?" Yamcha asked surprised.   
  
"Tranculus is loose and it killing all the Z fighters!" Bra exclaimed. "They've gotten Krillin, Marron, Tein, Lunchi, Chouzu, Yajirobe and Karin so far! We have to meet at Capsule Corp!"  
  
"WHAT!" Yamcha jumped up in surprise. "But- how-?"  
  
"He's after you too," Pan informed him gravely. "We have to get back to Capsule Corp."  
  
"Let's go," Yamcha nodded and the three of them hovered above the ground and were about to take off when-  
  
"Yamcha!" a tiny squeaky voice commanded them. "Get back here!"  
  
"But Puar!" Yamcha's voice bordered a whine. "We have to leave!"  
  
"Leaving won't pay the bills!" all though Puar didn't change shape she seemed to grow. "You have a contract. I don't care if it's life or death-"  
  
What Puar didn't see was the secret nod that happened between the three of them. Pan sudden appeared behind her and grabbed Puar in a lock. The tiny cat struggled but they had already shot off in the direction of the Capsule Corp headquarters.   
  
  



	11. Sugar High and a Hidden Alley

Chapter 11  
  
"Stupid Ranmata," Kara growled as she threw pillows and blankets on the floor. "Stupid ship, stupid cat," she roughly made it into a bed on the floor. "Stupid parents, stupid park, stupid sister, stupid cat-"  
  
"You already said that one," Ranmata said from the door making her whirl around to glare at him.  
  
"Stupid CAT!" she retorted eyes blazing. Ranmata smirked not really afraid of a human girl.  
  
"You think you can scare me?" he barked out a laugh. "A SUPER Saiyan?"  
  
"You-you-you-you-" Kara balled her fists even tighter. "Grrr, you just tick me off!"  
  
Kara stormed passed him and stomped through the ship. Ranmata was a little surprised at her reaction but Tara quickly bounced up to him  
  
"Hello!" she greeted him overly happy. "Guess what? I found out how to get food!"  
  
"Simple huh?" he raised an eyebrow as he scooped her up. "It's only buttons."  
  
"Well, I found the CANDY button!" she clapped her hands.   
  
"Sugar rush?" he thought out loud. "Oh boy."  
  
"Common, let's go somewhere!" she grabbed his hand and dragged him off.  
  
* * *  
  
"Tranculus, you mean the big guy?" Yamcha asked as they soared above the city to avoid attention. "I thought Goku blasted him."  
  
"Not quite," Pan yelled over the noise of the air. "The blast only knocked him away from the battle and since he doesn't have a chi we didn't pick it up."  
  
"But he's damaged right?" Yamcha asked. "I mean no one could walk away un scratched."  
  
"He did," Bra said. "He absorbed the chi so it didn't affect him."  
  
"But we've delt with chi absorption right? Can't we just rip off his hands or whatever he used to absorb it?"  
  
"He uses his whole body, no such luck," Pan said slowing down. "Careful, plane incoming."  
  
They dropped to the ground and landed in an alley. Pan and Bra turned to fill in Yamcha better.  
  
"He first got Krillin and Marron when they were in their backyard so we know he's not afraid to attack in public places. He found Tein, Lunchi and Chouzu so he can also detect chi. But what has us stumped it that he found Karin and Yajirobe so easily. They don't have much chi, a hundred or so between them, so how did he find a place like that?"  
  
"Maybe he know inside information," Yamcha said thoughtfully. "That would also make sense because he knew where we were when we were fighting Olios. We all had our chi lowered to about 2 each, no way he could detect us that easily."  
  
"Good point," Pan rubbed her chin. "Well, we'd better get back before they come looking for us."  
  
"Good ide-" Yamcha was suddenly cut off.  
  
"Yamcha?" Bra asked turning to see what was wrong. Her gasp caught Pan's attention and they both gaped in horror at the sight.  
  
"Hi there!" Tranculus greeted them. Yamcha dangled from his hand, his neck hanging at an odd angle. Puar shook in terror as Tranculus grabbed her but the neck. "Sorry kitty."  
  
"No," Pan whispered as Tranculus crushed the small cat in his gigantic palm. "NOOOO!"  
  
"Pan, we have to get out of here," Bra whispered as Pan glared at Tranculus in hatred.  
  
"No, we can't," a voice Bra had never heard from her friend spoke. "He can't kill us. He's scared, scared of his boss. If we fight him now we cab find out his weaknesses and if we do die he will be killed by his boss."  
  
"But, Pan," Bra was surprised to see tears running down Pan's cheeks.  
  
"No, first Marron and Krillin, Karin and Yajirobe, Tein, Lunchi and Chouzu, now Yamcha and Puar. We have to fight."  
  
"You're right," Bra turned to look at Tranculus now her Saiyan blood boiling. "Let's do it."  
  
"Oh add Master Roshi and Oolong to the list," he said apologetically. "I just killed them a little while ago."  
  
"DIE!" Pan jumped at the huge giant. Tranculus caught her punch with one hand. Pan gasped but was swung around into the alley wall. The bricks crumpled and she lay there a minute to think.   
  
Bra stepped back as she saw the hole appear in the wall. Then a thought struck her. "Dad," she spoke out loud. "Dad! Why didn't I think of this before!"  
  
Bra braced her feet and started to power up. "I may not be great fighter," she said through clenched teeth as her chi flamed around her. "But I know how to get dad's attention."  
  
* * *   
  
"What!" Vegeta shot his neck up. "Bra!"  
  
"What about Bra?" Bulma asked worried.   
  
"She's in trouble," he growled. "It must be Tranculus. But I can't leave you!"  
  
"Go, if Tranculus is there, he can't be here!" Chichi insisted. "Go!"  
  
"No, if Tranculus gets away he'll come here and get you," he glared at them.  
  
"Sir Veggie," Zergon rushed into the room. "Sir Trunks is back!"  
  
"Good!" Vegeta smiled one of his rare smiles. Fortunately for him his back was turned so only Zergon could see. He quickly twisted it into a scowl. "Tell Trunks where I've gone."  
  
"Bye," Bulma glared at the hole in the wall. "Good luck."  
  
"Don't be so mad Bulma," Chichi led her away from the damage. "He's worried about Bra. Let's go tell Master Roshi what's going on."  
  
Trunks walked in pushing a quivering Turtle. "Too late," he sighed. "Only Turtle survived."  
  
"He's at Bra and Pan now," Bulma said worried. "They went into town and Master Roshi is in the opposite direction. He's fast isn't he."  
  
"Yea," Trunks said softly. "Let's hope he's not too fast."  
  
* * *  
  
"Please be here, please be here," Goten muttered under his breath as he landed in the small village. "Yes! He's here!"  
  
"Goten!" Uubu greeted him. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm here to save you!" Goten smiled proudly. "Let's go!"  
  
"What!" Uubu yelped as Goten grabbed his arm and dragged him into the air.  
  
"Don't ask," Goten said grimly. "You know the 'little problem' we had a little while ago? With Olios and Tranculus?"  
  
"Yea," Uubu finally managed to free himself of Goten's grip and fly on his own. "What about it?"  
  
"Well the little problem is gone but the big problem is still around. Tranculus is still up and running. He's gotten Krillin, Marron, Chouzu, Tein, Lunchi, Yajirobe and Karin. For all I know he's killed more of us!"  
  
"W-what?" Uubu stammered. "But then how do you figure I will be safe with you! If Sensei couldn't beat him..."  
  
"He can't kill the Saiyans yet," Goten grinned. "If it comes down to it, use me as a wall ok?"  
  
"Ummmmm..." Uubu tried to find the best answer for that.  
  
  



	12. Trunks....Saiyanknapped?

Chapter 12  
  
"I just can't believe it," Chichi sighed as Bulma and her were cooking dinner in the kitchen. "I never liked Master Roshi and that three eyed freak scared me but I can't believe they are dead."  
  
"I know," Bulma sighed too. "I mean Vegeta's died before but I never really had time to think about it. What do you think, Trunks?"  
  
"Huh?" he jerked his head up from the table. "Right, sure whatever you said."  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be protecting us?" Bulma asked. "How can you do that if you are asleep?"  
  
"Talents?" he answered sheepishly.  
  
* * *  
  
"Bra!" Vegeta shot into the alley to see his daughter helping Pan to her feet. "Bra are you alright?"  
  
"Daddy!" she hugged him in relief. "You came!"  
  
"Of course I came," he scowled.   
  
"Vegeta," Pan placed a hand on the wall to steady herself. "Tranculus got to Yamcha, Puar, Roshi and Oolong. He's right over..."  
  
She turned to point at Tranculus but found him gone.   
  
* * *  
  
"Trunks!" Bulma slammed her fist on the table. He snapped his head up fast.  
  
"Wha? It's Saturday!" he protested still half asleep. Bulma grumbled and gave him a light punch in the shoulder.  
  
"Wake up! You are supposed to protect us!" she scolded him.  
  
"Sorry mom?" he yawned. "But I feel...so...tired..." he head hit the table with a dull thud. Chichi sniffed the air.  
  
"Hey Bulma, does the air feel different to you?" she asked.  
  
"Now that you mention it," she sniffed the air too. "It does feel a little..."  
  
"Drugged," a voice startled the two women. "A sleeping gas designed to knock out Saiyans. It shouldn't affect you."  
  
"Tranculus," Bulma whispered. "I thought..."  
  
"That I was with your daughter?" he supplied as he stepped from the shadows. "Don't worry, I work fast."  
  
"But Bra..." Bulma trailed off tear in her eyes.   
  
"It's ok, Bra is fine," he grinned. "But I can't say the same for you ex-boyfriend."  
  
"Yamcha?" Chichi asked. "But, why?"  
  
"No reason," he shrugged. "I was ordered to. I just got some new orders, kill the loved ones as always and capture the Saiyans. Your darling boy will be the first. But of course, good bye."  
  
Before they could react Tranculus had plunged his hands into their stomachs. He smiled evilly. "I'm sorry, I know I promised quick deaths but this was too easy!"  
  
He pulled his hand back and looked at the blood flowing steadily from the two women. They dropped to the floor, Chichi dead and Bulma just barely alive. She turned her painful gaze to Tranculus. He picked up Trunks but the back of his shirt.   
  
"No," she gasped out then a red haze covered her eyesight and her head dropped to the floor.  
  
* * *  
  
"Piccolo!" Gohan called to the desert. "Where are you? Not there...not there...not-THERE!" he grinned and shot off in the direction he had found Piccolo's chi in.  
  
"Gohan?" the green Namek asked surprised as Gohan snapped him out of meditation. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"We have to get to Capsule Corp," he said a little out of breath. "Tranculus is back and killing all non-Saiyans."  
  
"Let's go," Piccolo nodded and they both sped toward Satan City with Gohan explaining what had happened while Piccolo had been training.  
  
* * *   
  
Trunks stirred as he woke up. He groaned and clutched his head. He slowly pulled himself to a sitting position and looked around with one eye still holding his aching head. The sight was enough to make him forget the stabbing pain.  
  
Mauled bodies were strung up around him like decoration. He hugged the cave wall and his hand bumped something. He slowly and carefully looked at the ground near his hand.  
  
His hand was on a boot. He slowly followed it up. A blood caked jeaned leg, half of an arm. He got to the shoulder before looking away.  
  
"No, I have to find out who it is," he whispered to himself. He opened his eyes again and looked at the shoulder. It stuck out at odd places and Trunks saw small bits of white where the flesh had given away to bone. He quickly glanced up at the face and his gaze stuck there in a horrified stare.  
  
The head was at an angle so even with his seat on the ground he could see the top of the head. The face was torn apart and the body's eyes were stuck open like an old scar. They were dried and glazed over with a dusty film. The skull was crushed half in and the blood had long since stopped flowing. But what really scared Trunks was the forehead. It was the one this untouched on the body and it didn't even have any dirt on it as if someone polished it. If the black remains of hair didn't convince Trunks who it was the six burn scars on the almost bald head would.  
  
"Krillin," Trunks whispered quietly. He looked more carefully at the rest of the bodies his terror growing as he identified each one. The one next to Krillin was his daughter Marron, her neck sporting a gaping hole. Karin was next his white head at an odd angle. Yajirobe hung beside him his eyes open and stared at Trunks.   
  
Blonde Lunchi was burned in her face and Trunks couldn't even see anything that might have been eyes except the holes in her blackened skull. He was almost thankful for that because the person beside her was even worse. Tein hung by his neck like every one. Burns, cuts and broken bones spoke of how he had gone down fighting. But the cause of his death was obvious. A hole went right through his lower left chest. It wasn't a clean hole, instead it was cut as if the killer had shot it with out looking so the skin around was jagged and the rest of Tein's heart was dangling over it so Trunks could see.  
  
Chouzu seemed almost normal compared to Tein, his neck simply snapped and his small hat off. Yamcha was still slick with shiny blood flowing from his neck and a cut from his head he had probably gotten from his head swinging and hitting the side of the cave. A small brown bag hung next to him and something seeped through the cloth and hit a rock under causing a steady annoying drip. Trunks's throat caught at the next woman. Chichi was hanging by her hands and blood still poured from the wound in her stomach.   
  
But what made Trunks lose it was the sight of his mother. Bulma hung by her arms like Chichi with a hole punched through her mid-section. Her blue eyes were wide with terror and her mouth was open in an eternal silent scream. The blood was pooled around her feet and still more was spilling over the edges of the ripped skin and ran down her legs to the floor. Trunks tried to turn and run but he bumped into Krillin. Backing away quickly he tried to run in another direction but was stopped by the body of Yamcha glaring accusingly at him. No matter where he ran he bumped into bodies all looking at him and mouths that begged for help.  
  
He dropped to his knees in the middle and throw up. Then he sobbed and curled up hiding his eyes from the sight falling into the most horrible nightmare he had ever had in all his life.  
  



	13. Sir Veggie Turned Evil

Chapter 13  
  
"Tara," Ranmata wheezed as he collapsed on the floor. "I can't do this anymore."  
  
"Party pooper," she frowned. Then her eyes lit up with another idea. "I know! An eat off!"  
  
"Food?" Ranmata perked up. "Did you say food? Cause if you did, I'm there!"  
  
"Ok the rules are, you can't stop until you are about to burst and the other person gets to pick the food," Tara jumped up and down. Ranmata looked around the room they were in. The floor was littered with food wrappers, books, computer logs and more junk then he had thought possible.   
  
"How about the loser has to clean up the whole ship?" he grimaced as he waded over to her and put her on his shoulder next to Joey.  
  
"Ok!" she smiled happily still hyper. Ranmata sighed and dug around until he uncovered the food-making machine.  
  
"You have to eat... shoccoli," he made a face. "The most disgusting substance, it doesn't even deserve to be called food!"  
  
"What!" she shrieked. "Not fair! Why do I have to eat a nasty food! Well if I have to eat sh- sh- whatever, you have to eat broccoli!"  
  
"Ok," he smiled. "Let's get started."  
  
* * *  
  
"Bulma!" Vegeta called as he entered the house with Pan and Bra. "Chichi? Trunks! Trunks where are you?"  
  
"Daddy?" Bra asked as they searched the house. "I don't think they're here."  
  
"Let's just look," he growled low in his throat. Bra nodded wordlessly and they split up. Pan went down a hallway to the left, Bra the one on the left and Vegeta went straight.  
  
Pan poked a foot in a dirty pile of clothes. A robot hurried and picked them up and then rushed to clean them. She lifted a pile of book on a table but was again interrupted by a cleaning robot.  
  
"Ok, remind me again why I want a robot to clean my room?" she grumbled to herself as she tripped over another.   
  
* * *  
  
"I have no clue how to do this," Goku paced back and forth. "You don't want to leave, Mr.Popo will but he can't because Tranculus will get him and I can't because he'll get you!"  
  
"Don't worry about us Goku," Dende said. "You teleport to someone tell them and have them tell the others. Simple."  
  
"I just know something is wrong," Goku's pacing increased. "Something to do with Chichi."   
  
"I'm sure she's fine Goku," Dende reassured him. "Vegeta is with them."  
  
"I guess," he frowned. "I'm be right back. Don't die or anything."  
  
"Don't worry Goku, we won't," Mr.Popo waved as Goku vanished.   
  
* * *  
  
"Where are you woman," Vegeta growled under his breath. "You can't be dead, you just can't."  
  
"Sir Veggie?" a tiny voice made Vegeta turn from the kitchen door. "Sir Veggie! You're back!"  
  
"Zergon!" Vegeta smiled grimly. "Where's Bulma?"  
  
"Lady Bulma?" he asked. "She's gone Sir Veggie. Enemy Tranculus took her and Lady Chichi. Sir Trunks was taken too but he was alive."  
  
* * *  
  
Tranculus scanned the city from high over head. After capturing that purple-hair Saiyan the rest should be easy. Especially if they see the state of their friend.   
  
"Hmmm," Tranculus spotted an unusual sight. A Namek and a half-Saiyan landing in the city. "This could be interesting..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Keep an eye out," Gohan warned Piccolo. "Tranculus will still kill us if people are around."  
  
"Most bad guys do," he grumbled. They tried their best to walk casually down the street but earned a few funny looks from the citizens.   
  
"Tell me again why we just can't fly there?" Piccolo asked annoyed.  
  
"We don't want to look suspicious-" suddenly Gohan frozen. He groaned and his head drooped  
  
"What's wrong?" Piccolo asked.  
  
"Look over there," Gohan pointed a finger in a direction. "My old tutor."  
  
"So?" Piccolo yelled. "You're not afraid of a teacher are you?"  
  
"Not afraid," Gohan muttered. "But Mr.Shuu was, ummm, strict."  
  
* * *   
  
"Dead!" Vegeta yelled. "And Trunks let this happen! No..."  
  
"Sir Veggie," Zergon tried his best to comfort Vegeta. "Sir Trunks could not help it. Enemy Tranculus used a Saiyan sleeping gas. Sir Trunks was taken away."  
  
"When I get my hands on him," Vegeta dropped to his knees. "Trunks was supposed to protect them. He is dead."  
  
"But Sir Veggie! It was not Sir Trunks's fault!"  
  
* * *  
  
Goten and Uubu travelled at a steady pace toward Capsule Corp. There was very little conversation between the two, in fact not a word had been spoken for a few hours.  
  
That all changed when Goten sudden stopped like he had hit a wall. Uubu, slightly behind him tried to stop in mid air but the result was something much like the Coyote on Bugs and Tweety.   
  
"Oh hi guys," Goku greeted the two young men. "could you tell everybody to met in heaven? It's kinda important."  
  
"Ok but why?" Goten asked still rubbing his forehead. But his question was asked to thin air. "Ok, new mission. Let's hurry."  
  
They both shot off again much faster then before. Goku might have a plan to beat Tranculus and they for one where not going to mess it up!  
  
* * *   
  
Somewhere in a cave in the deep mountain Herman sat beside a fire gazing intently into it.   
  
"This is even worst them I thought," he muttered. "Tranculus's human and robot side are fighting. If the robot side wins he will be totally loyal to Nabukia and have no chance of turning good. Oh but the downside is enough to make me have chills. His robotic side wants to use its creativity to kill his victims. That's what you get for mixing two different minds.  
  
"We can only pray his sentient side wins, here is a good chance he will be able to move his body far enough in space and self destruct, saving us all. But it does not look good."  
  
He looked around the small cave. "Sure glad I'm safe in here..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Poor Vegeta," Nabukia's muscles curling into what might have been a smile if skin was there it hold it. "My reports from my android have told me your mate is dead. Soon Vegeta, soon you might join her but not likely. You have a good chance to get into heaven. I'd better narrow the odds now."  
  
His bony hand was visible in the stars light. It curled into a fist around a device mounted on the chair arm. "I never thought I'd have to use this but it's all in good fun, what do you say, Sir Veggie?"  
  
* * *  
  
Vegeta suddenly stood. Zergon looked at him on hope that his mind had changed about Trunks. But what he saw made him suspicious.   
  
"Sir Veggie?" he asked. Vegeta did not twitch at his voice instead he walked passed Zergon to the door. Zergon followed him worried. "Sir Veggie? Sir Veggie?"  
  
Vegeta didn't show any sign he heard. He walked coldly out of Capsule Corp and was about to take off when a tugging anchor forced him to stay on the ground.  
  
"Sir Veggie!" Zergon held his ankle with strength that many people would think was impossible for a creature of his size. "I will not let you leave!"  
  
Vegeta turned his eyes down on the tiny Glaiver. His mind barely registered the red blob of fur. Vegeta picked Zergon up off the ground and looked at him carefully. Finally he spoke.  
  
"Slave Glaiver. Planet Glaive, formally owned by the Planet Trade," his voice sounded like a computer analysis. He calmly drew back his arm and threw Zergon with force over the Capsule Corp building. Without a second thought he flew off the ground at lightning speed.  
  
* * *   
  
Trunks sat huddled on the ground his eyes hidden. He breathed in long and deep through his mouth trying not to taste the smell of spilt blood and decaying flesh. He drew in a shuddering breath trying to calm himself down.   
  
"I can do this," he whispered to him self. "Just, leave." He stood his eyes tightly shut. He carefully put his blood soaked hands in front of him so he didn't hit the dangling bodies. He walked between Krillin and Marron when his hands it solid rock. He slowly peeked his eyes open and only saw grey rock.   
  
"So far so good," he whispered to himself. Keeping his eyes trained on the wall he carefully walked with his hands pressed against it. He followed it around in a complete circle finding no cracks, doors or openings.   
  
"Ok, then the exit must be in the roof," he gulped. "Well, here goes nothing."  
  
He quickly turned his head up as high as he could and to his relief his eyes passed over the bodies without seeing them. His eyes spotted a small hole at the top where the light came in from. He quickly flew up there. He eagerly reached his hand up to the opening.  
  
"Owwwww!" he yelped as his hand hit a barrier. Shaking it he studied the crack more carefully. An almost invisible barrier covered the hole and Trunks suddenly felt truly afraid.  
  
"If there's no openings," he whispered horrified. "And I'm in an air tight cave then eventually...I'll run out of air. No! I don't want to die! Not her like this!" then he smacked his head. "Get a grip Trunks! You, won't, die! You just have to make an opening."  
  



	14. Gohan Too?!

Chapter 14  
  
"Ok, this is the button for shoccoli, and this is the one for broccoli. On the count of three, one...two...three...GO!" Tara and Ranmata started shoving at their food at an alarming rate. After the first plate was finished they sat up for air.  
  
"Not that bad, could use a little salt," Tara commented as she got a second helping.  
  
"Awful," Ranmata shuddered. "How can you eat this!?"  
  
"I don't," Tara smiled as she started to inhale her food again.  
  
* * *  
  
Vegeta landed outside of the cave where Trunks was held. He looked slowly around. Then as if satisfied he sat on a rock and shut his eyes.   
  
  
Trunks floated back a few feet from the roof and powered a small chi blast in his hand. Experimentally he threw it at the small barrier over the roof. It hit the wall and bounced back at Trunks.  
  
"Ahh!" he ducked out of the way so the blast headed for the ground. He whipped his head around and expected to see the explosion. Instead the blue ball of energy bounced off the ground and hit a wall. It bounced again and began to shoot all over the small cave.  
  
"This can't be good," Trunks quickly dodged it as it sped by. "Defiantly not good! Ahhh!" He was too slow and it hit his back knocking him to the ground. Forgetting where he was he sat up and found himself looking into the empty eye of his mother. "AHHHHHH!!!! Bad idea!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Well little Gohan," Tranculus grinned wickedly. "You're next."  
  
Gohan convinced Piccolo to make a wide circle around Mr.Shuu until they were out of eyesight. Breathing a sigh of relief Gohan continued along happy for the minute and forgot to check the sky. Piccolo muttered something about a 'weakling warrior who can't even face a teacher' when it happened.  
  
Tranculus dropped on Gohan's neck knocking him out instantly. Then he grinned at the shocked Namek.   
  
"No you will not die yet," Tranculus reassured him. "But I have a message. Your Prince is property of the Evil Overlord, the monkeys are soon to be dead. A group more powerful then you will land in two months. Train and become strong but you will stand no chance against even the first warrior. Prepare to die."   
  
Then he left Piccolo standing in the street with the crowd looking at him frightened. He dragged Gohan after him and disappeared out of sight.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ok Trunks you will find a way out of this!" Trunks talked to himself as he tried to find a weak point in the wall. "You will! Wait a minute, am I talking to myself? Ok that was a pretty dumb question. A better one would be am I listening? Ok that wasn't that great, I'll try again."  
  
Suddenly the rock gave way under his hands. Trunks jumped back in surprise before starting to cheer. He stopped when he saw a dark outline of a person.   
  
Vegeta walking in and stood right in front of Trunks staring straight ahead.  
  
"Dad!" Trunks grinned. "How did you find me? Dad?"  
  
"He's not your dad anymore," Tranculus appeared behind Vegeta. "He is the puppet of the Lord Nabukia."  
  
"What?" Trunks asked. "But how? Dad would never-"  
  
"Not by his will," Tranculus grinned evilly. "Since you won't be alive much longer I'll tell you. My master Nabukia is the expert on all body functions. Once you meet him, if you do you'll know what I mean. Vegeta is now the proud owner of a nerve stimulator. Injected on the Planet Glaive by none other then your 'friend' Zergon. It blocks out his individuality, that part that IS Vegeta."  
  
"Zergon?" Trunks said breathlessly. "No, but he was so innocent..."  
  
"You'd be surprised what they do for their masters," Tranculus chuckled. "Now, enough talking, we have to move you two to another cell. Vegeta."  
  
The Saiyan prince walked coldly over to his son and delivered a blow to the side of his neck knocking him out.  
  
* * *  
  
"No, no, no, no, no, no," Zergon moped in a bush in one of the various gardens at Capsule Corp. "It wasn't supposed to be like this." He remembered the order that had been given to him.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
"Slave 7837593," the cold voice echoed in his head. He was on his home planet with the other different coloured slaves in the underground barracks that they lived in. he stood and walked to the door. A brown Glavier shoved his back with his foot and laughed as if this was so hysterical. Zergon ignored him and kept walking to the place where he had been summoned.  
  
"Yes Master?" Zergon dropped to his knees and his head touched the floor. The oversized fat fuzzball looked at him.   
  
"S7837593, a Saiyan will be landing soon. Give him this."  
  
Zergon accepted the small syringe and hid it under his heavy coat of fur. "Yes Master, your wish in my command."  
  
*~*~*~  
  
"How could I?" he sobbed. "Sir Veggie was my only friend!"  
  
* * *  
  
Goten and Uubu went full speed to Capsule Corp. Goten sighed with relief as the buildings came into view.   
  
"There they are!" he shouted back to Uubu. Landing outside the front door Goten barged in. "Trunks? Mom? We're here!"  
  
"Goten?" Bra rushed out to meet them. "You guys made it back!"  
  
"Yea," Goten grinned. "Where's mom and Trunks?"  
  
"Well..." her voice trailed off sadly. "That's a long story."  
  
"Bra-" Goten started when Uubu interrupted him.  
  
"Piccolo is here."  
  
Goten quickly turned around to greet his brother and the Namek. But all he saw was a very shaken up Piccolo. Pan suddenly burst into the room out of breath.  
  
"Hi, what did I miss?"  
  



	15. Damned Saiyan Pride...

Chapter 15  
  
Trunks groaned, as he became aware of a throbbing pain in his head. He stumbled to his knees and coughed to clear the dust from his throat.  
  
"So you're awake," a voice behind him commented. Trunks jumped to his feet and got into a defensive stance before he saw it was only Gohan.  
  
"Oh, it's only you," he sighed and powered down. "I though it was Tranculus or dad or something."  
  
"Your dad?" Gohan questioned.   
  
"Yea, long story," he looked around the cave they were in. "Man, you'd think Tranculus would be more creative then another cave huh? At least the bodies are gone..."  
  
"The bodies?" Gohan asked suspiciously. "What bodies?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
* * *   
  
"Do Goku wants us to go to Dende's Lookout? Sounds easy," Bra crossed her arms.   
  
"But where is mom?" Goten asked for the hundredth time. "When I left she was in one piece and HERE. Now where is she?"  
  
"I don't know?" Bra said thoughtfully. "I haven't seen Dad either since we split up to look for mom and Chichi."  
  
"Don't bother looking for them," Piccolo spoke up. "I know for a fact Tranculus has Vegeta under some sort of mind control and the new enemy, Nabukia, is coming and we have to fight some of his warriors."  
  
"What!" they all yelled at once.  
  
"No way!" Goten started pacing. "Where's Gohan when you need him?"  
  
"He was taken by Tranculus too," Piccolo answered Goten's absent-minded question.   
  
* * *  
  
Meanwhile, Tara and Ranmata were tied in their eating contest.  
  
"Got...to...keep...going," Ranmata gasped out as he shoved more of the green broccoli into his mouth. "Saiyan...pride..."  
  
"And another one hits the dust," Tara sang as more of the shoccoli entered her mouth. "And another one! And another one! And another one hits the dust!"  
  
"What are you guys doing," Kara walked in as the 50th plate of shoccoli and broccoli appeared. Tara happily dug in while Ranmata groaned and poked it with a finger.  
  
"An eating contest," Ranmata grumbled as he placed the smallest piece in his mouth.   
  
"Sorry to disappoint you, super Saiyan, but my sister has a stomach the size of the Titanic!"  
  
"The what?"  
  
* * *  
  
Goku sat inside the building on Dende's Lookout meditating. The wind swirled around him and a bird interrupted his thinking. Angrily he raised a hand to blast the small songbird to another dimension then stopped himself shocked.   
  
"That's something Vegeta would do," he told himself. "And I am DEFINATLY not Vegeta. If only Chichi was here...She would know what was wrong."  
  
Suddenly he was hit with a brilliant idea. "Man! Why didn't I think of this sooner!" he jumped to his feet and ran excitedly over to Dende who was watching Earth from the edge of the lookout.   
  
"Hello Goku," Dende greeted his sadly.   
  
"Dende, one sec ok? I'll be right back!" Goku hopped from foot to foot. "I just have to teleport everyone here!"  
  
"Good idea Goku," Dende said sarcastically but fortunately Goku was gone. He sighed and turned from the edge of the heaven. He didn't want to see Goku when he found out.  
  
* * *  
  
"So let me get this straight," Gohan rubbed his forehead in an effort to get rid of the monster headache that had suddenly hit him. "Tranculus has orders from Nabukia to kill all non-Saiyan friends and Saiyannap all the Saiyan for safe keeping."  
  
"Yup," Trunks nodded.  
  
"And Tranculus now has Vegeta under his control. Which mean we are down one less fighter."  
  
"Afraid so," Trunks bobbed his head enthusiastically.   
  
"AND," Gohan sounded a little annoyed at the happy look on Trunks's face. "There are his fighters coming to earth in one month that we can not possible defeat. We can't train in here and we only have 8 fighters. You, me, Goten, my dad, piccolo, Uubu if he's alive, 17 and 18."  
  
"10, we still have Pan and Bra," Trunks cut in. "They are pretty powerful."  
  
"10 then," he growled. "And would you quit looking so happy!?"  
  
* * *   
  
Four small space pods travelled through the dark space leaving white trails. At first glance in them it looked like they were empty and maybe they had accidentally been launched but is you looked closer, as most people did, you would see the small black shape huddled in the bottoms of the seats. Unfortunately for those people, as soon as they got a glance at then the weapons would disintegrate and they would know that this was no lost space pod.  
  
One of the small figures uncurled and looked out the pod window. "Soon," it whispered in a raspy small voice. "Soon, we will feast."  
  
* * *  
  
"Sire, the Insect group is launched and heading steadily towards Earth," the second-in-command bowed in front of the black throne.  
  
"Good," Nabukia whispered, his voice barely hitting the second's ears. "Has there been any progress in finding the run away Ranmata?"  
  
"The Black Shadow was in Galaxy 16543 12354. He stole a scientist ship then he left it in the Contoa Space Port and is now on a collision course with planet Earth."  
  
"Good," Nabukia said a little sharper this time. "Leave and report back to me when the Insect group lands. In the mean time set a course to Planet Earth."  
  
"E-Earth?" the second stammered. "But Sire surely you have confidence in our greatest fighters of all time?"  
  
"Did you second guess me?" Nabukia's voice sent shivers down the second's spine.  
  
"N-n-no sire," the second cowered on the ground.  
  
"I think you did," Nabukia stood so the second could see the back of his red cloak. The second cowered and snivelled on the ground pleading with his Over Lord. "You know what happens when people second guess me."  
  
"No Master please, no! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" the blood curling scream echoed through out the entire ship. Nabukia stood over the dead body of the ex-second satisfied. He walked back to his throne like chair and sat down again. Pressing a button his voice suddenly sounded in every corner of the ship.  
  
"Officer 2347456, report to my chambers. You are being promoted."  
  
  



	16. Gohan and Trunks Free! Uh oh.

Sequel to A New Problem  
  
Alex's Note: I am going to be in sooooooooooo much trouble for this! I haven't posted in almost 2 months! That is really bad. Er, well, it's not like I forgot or had too much homeworks it's just that my creative jucies ran out and...well, I promise to have the next chaptee out next week! If not e-mail me and scream your anger!  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, not never, unfortunately.   
  
Chapter 16  
  
  
  
"Come on Tara show that pushy Saiyan who's boss!" Kara cheered on her stuffed sister. "Just one more plate, you can do it!"  
  
"Ohhhh, I don't feel so well," Ranmata moaned and fell over on his side. Tara seeing her chance to win, stuffed the rest of the lumpy food in her mouth chewed a few times and swallowed. Then she calmly placed the spoon down and turned to her sister.  
  
"I declare the winner my little sister, Tara!" Kara announced then cheered. Tara raised her fists in triumph then she promptly jumped to her feet and streaked to the bathroom her hand covering her mouth.  
  
Ranmata saw her then grumbling got to his feet. "I call the puke box first!" he ran after her. Kara just sighed and surveyed the mess the two had made.  
  
"Hey!" she called to them. "I'm NOT cleaning this up! I mean it! Stop laughing, get over here!"  
  
* * *  
  
Trunks and Gohan sat in silence for half an hour before Trunks finally decided to strike a conversation.  
  
"So," he smiled as Gohan was startled out of his thoughts.  
  
"So," Gohan repeated.  
  
"So. How's Pan?"  
  
"I don't know, how the business?"  
  
"So, so." They lapsed back to quiet but not necessarily peace. Trunk traced a drawing in the ground and studied it for a minute. Then he thoughtfully added to it and looked sideways at it. Gohan's human curiosity got the better of him and he glanced over Trunks's shoulder.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked as Trunks frowned and rubbed a line out with his finger.  
  
"Oh nothing, just stopping myself from dying of boredom," Trunks replied.  
  
"Oh," Gohan looked at his feet. Suddenly, as if they were in the same person, two stomachs growled. Trunks and Gohan grinned sheepishly at each other.  
  
"It's been a while since I've eaten," Gohan admitted. Trunks reached into his pocket and pulled out a white Capsule case.  
  
"For emergencies," he explained as he flipped it open. "House, car, Senzu, office, laser ray that cuts though anything, food."  
  
"What did you say?" Gohan looked at him with wide eyes.  
  
"Food?" Trunks took the capsule out. "I always bring emergency rations-"  
  
"No the one before," Gohan asked. "What was it?"  
  
"Oh the laser that can cut though anything? Yea mom is so over protective she just puts the stupidest thing in here!"  
  
"Trunks," Gohan glared at Trunks and he had a look in his eye that made Trunks move a few centimetres away. "You have a laser that can get us out of here?"  
  
"Y-yes, I guess it could be used-Ahhhh!" Trunks recoiled as Gohan pounced on him and ripped the Capsule Case out of his hands.  
  
* * *   
  
"17!" 18 called out in the general area she thought her brother might live. "17, where the hell are you!?"  
  
"18?" the android suddenly appeared in front of her. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Saving you," she crossed her arms over her chest. "Let's get out of here."  
  
"Wait a minute," he asked confused. "Saving me from what exactly?"  
  
"Tranculus," she answered impatiently. "He caused this big fuss, you now almost destroying the world and all? Turning Vegeta into a kid?"  
  
"You guys never get me for all the cool thing," he frowned. "And you never visit me either, where is my favourite niece?"  
  
"Somewhere in heaven I hope," 18's frown deepened. "Let's go, now, I've all ready spent a week just trying to pin where you live down."  
  
"I'm a nomad what did you expect?" he smirked. "Let's go and you can explain on the way there. Where is there anyway?"  
  
"Capsule Corp I think," she answered as they shot off the ground and skimmed the ground. "Tranculus has gotten Marron and Krillin but I don't know if he's gotten more. I think I felt Tien's ki shoot up then disappear and Trunks and Gohan's are just gone completely."  
  
"I thought so too," 17 confirmed as they flashed over a deserted island. "And there's something different about Vegeta's but I can't place my finger on it."  
  
"I know what you mean," she replied. "Humm... Goten, Uubu, Bra, Pan, Piccolo and Goku now are at Capsule corp. I thought Goku was at Dende's for the last little while."  
  
"Well, Dende is closer, let's stop there first," 17 commented.  
  
"Ok," she agreed and they altered their course slightly to the west. Suddenly they both stopped in mid-air at the exact second and whipped their heads to the north.  
  
"Did you feel that?" 17 exclaimed. "I was getting nothing then suddenly..."  
  
"Trunks and Gohan popped up," 18 finished. "And in Super Saiyan too! What is going on!?"  
  
"Maybe Dende can tell us," 17 grimly resumed their flight with 18 shakily following.  
  
* * *  
  
"Dad!" Goten jumped when Goku suddenly appeared in front of him. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm going to teleport you all to Dende's," he grinned. "Where's your mother and Bulma?"  
  
"We don't know," Pan said. "Trunks, Vegeta and Gohan are missing too."  
  
"What?" Goku's eyes widened in surprise. "Tranculus couldn't have gotten them, could he?"  
  
"Well..." Pan trailed off. "Tranculus has already killed Yamcha and Puar, Master Roshi and Oolong and...possibleyChichiandBulma."  
  
"What?" Goku asked. "You got fast in the end part, what did you say?"  
  
"Er, let's get to Dende!" Goten nervously drew Goku's attention from Pan. "He's probably wondering where we are!"  
  
"Yea," Bra agreed sweating.  
  
"Let's go!" Pan shot out the door with Bra, Goten and Uubu at her heels.  
  
"What?" Goku scratched his head. "Dende is the god, of course he knows were we are, hey wait up!"  
  
Piccolo grumbled and chased flew out the door into the sky towards Dende's.  
  
* * *  
  
"This way!" Gohan yelled and they took off with Vegeta hot on their heels. After they had cut through the force field they found the person that had been sent to guard them.  
  
"He's gaining!" Trunks yelped and the two super Saiyans shot to level 2 and increased their speed. Vegeta flashed and his cold unforgiving eyes turned green and he steadily closed the gap between them.  
  
"Da, damn," Gohan panted. "I sh, should have trained more."  
  
"Tell me about it," Trunks gasped. "Uh oh."  
  
"Uh oh?" Gohan demanded as they approached an ocean. "What is uh oh? And please tell me it's good news!"  
  
"It can be good or bad," Trunks replied slowing down. Gohan growled and matched his speed.  
  
"WHAT!"  
  
"I can't find Vegeta."  
  
"Uh oh."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	17. Final Destination...Japan

Sequel to A New Problem  
  
Author's note: ::ducks any thrown items :: Er, um, hehe. Funny story....Ok, fine it's late. I was just fed up with it for no reason but hten I started to get all these reviews in my Inbox and it sort of rekindled the writing spark. Here's part 17 and I'll try, no seriously TRY to work on it more. It gets somewhere this time it doesn't drag as much. We see from Zergon, 18 and 17, Goku, Gohan and Trunks and other stuff. It does have somethings that have actually meaning at the bottom...   
  
Here are some questions-Zergon is no way related to Zarbon. Actually I just strang random letters together and it sound cool. Same with the Glavier language but that did take some thinking! I did try to make is look like the English words in the sense of size. And before someone asked again, Ranmata is the combination of Ranma, my fav Manga series and Yamato, the hotty off of Digimon. I just changed it from Ranmato to Ranmata.  
  
Thanks and don't' worry about asking me stuff! It let me know you guys are reading my stories! :)  
  
Chapter 17  
  
Ranmata slumped on his captain's chair. The ships automatic cleaning robots had taken care of today's mess and he was all set for a nap. But, unlike Tara's 24-hour day he ran on a 36 so he slept different times then her. Sure a few days off schedule didn't hurt but he really didn't need that much sleep. He pulled out a small clip of a newly found species on the ship.  
  
Unnoticed, Kara entered and sat in the chair next to Ranmata thoughtfully looking at him. He was too engrossed in his reading to bother to see her. She sighed and sat back. Joey had claimed her bed but she was using the excuse insomnia.   
  
After a few minutes she got bored at staring out of the window at the stars. She stood and quietly walked out of the room for a few minutes. Ranmata didn't even notice when she re-entered a few minutes later with two mugs of something.  
  
"Hey!" she startled him out of his reading. He jumped and the report clattered to the floor. He glared at her and she just smirked. "Well, your welcome! I brought you some hot chocolate."  
  
"What?" he cocked his head curiously. "Hot...chocolate?"  
  
"It's good!" she insisted. She thrust the mug in his hands and took her seat gently blowing on it to cool it down. Ranmata looked the mug over then dumped the boiling liquid down his throat.  
  
"AHHHH!" he jumped up fanning his mouth in pain. "HOT!"  
  
"Duh," she took an experimental sip. "It isn't called COLD chocolate for a reason!" but Ranmata had already run to get a glass of water to cool his flaming mouth. She sighed and took an experimental sip of hers.   
  
***  
  
"What do you mean you can't FIND him!" Trunks yelled in panic.  
  
"Well can you find him!" Gohan yelled right back and the two of them searched frantically for Vegeta's signature chi.   
  
"Maybe it's a good thing," Trunks said shakily. "You know, he got bored and left us alone?"  
  
"Not likely."  
  
"Damn."  
  
"Uh oh."  
  
"You know? I HATE that word!"  
  
"I can sense him again. He's-"  
  
***  
  
Zergon was more shocked then hurt from Vegeta's throw. He lay where he had landed, in the countryside, for hours just thinking. He had betrayed his only friend. So what if Vegeta wasn't his best friend at the time, it was still wrong.  
  
"But I would have died," Zergon tried to counsel himself. "Sir Veggie will surely see it this way." He thought back to the arguments Vegeta fought with Trunks, Bulma, Goten pretty much anyone. "No, Sir Veggie will not see it my way. What to do?"  
  
Zergon had formed two plans. 1, he would find Vegeta and try to make him see it his way or 2, find Vegeta's friends and tell them. He was not looking forward to either.  
  
Zergon would have preferred to see Vegeta first. Zergon had plenty of secrets he hadn't revealed to anyone and plenty only Vegeta knew about. Zergon did not see Goku, Gohan or Trunks as friendly ground. Still, after the way Vegeta had treated him he decided he should face them sooner or later.  
  
Zergon hovered a few feet off the ground and spun around slowly as if searching for something. Then, as if he had found whatever it was he was looking for, he rocketed off in the sky, trimming the tops of trees.  
  
***  
  
Goku had taken up pacing again, up and down, up and down. After they had reached the Lookout, Pan was able to break the news to Goku. They had all been prepared for Goku's rage, his questions and his revenge. But, Goku had taken the news quietly as if he already knew and resorted to pacing, up and down, up and down.  
  
"We have to do something!" Pan finally burst after several moments of complete silence. "I just can't take it!"  
  
"What can we do?" Goten asked tired. "We don't know anything! We can't do anything!"  
  
"But Dad and Trunks are out there! We can feel them!" she growled and slammed her fist on the ground, creating a small crater that sank a few inches. "Why can't we save them!"  
  
"We are needed here," Goku stopped and stood still staring at the ground. "We need Dende here. The Dragonball have to be used. We can't defeat this enemy without them."  
  
"I hate this," Piccolo growled and snapped up from his meditation. "We've never used the Dragonballs like this before, it feels like cheating."  
  
"I know," Goku sighed and rubbed his temples. "But we have no choice." Then, he resumed his pacing.  
  
***  
  
Herman watched as his fire sank lower and lower into the ground. His firewood was almost used up. He couldn't survive in this icy mountain without his fire. There was nothing he could do. If he left Tranculus would kill him.  
  
He had been able to intercept some of Nabukia's transmissions to Tranculus and read them so he knew what the plan was. He had known it was dangerous to try and communicate with Nabukia but this was worse them he thought. Tranculus had been told to drop everything and kill the one called Herman. Namely him.  
  
If he left his safe cave haven he would die. He had chosen this cave for the mere fact that it was the only place on Earth sheltered from all kinds of chi. No one could sense him here but the downside was he couldn't sense anyone outside. The second he stepped out, his chi would act like a beacon and Tranculus would be here in the blink of an eye. He couldn't Teleport out, he couldn't call for help, and he couldn't do ANYTHING!  
  
Plus, to top it all off and just rub it in, Herman was the number one case of clasterphobia.  
  
***   
  
17 and 18 saw the bottom of Karin's tower in the distance. Wordlessly they shot straight up. They paused at the halfway point but continued as they saw the blood stains on the garden. After a few minutes they saw Lookout and silently increased speed.  
  
***   
  
Tranculus looked out over a random city. He watched the people down below, milling over pointless problems and doing mindless tasks. Tranculus thought for a minute. His orders word for word were to 'kill off the fighters but leave the Saiyans.' Well, people down there fight don't they? And chances were, they weren't Saiyan.  
  
He lowered down with a smile on his face. Unlike other super, evil guys like Cell and Buu and such, he liked to keep his presence unknown until just the right moment. He landed on the outskirts of town where only drunks and bums lived. He walked long quietly until he heard the sound of fighting.   
  
'Fighters' he thought. 'Ha, there is no way I can get in trouble with Nabukia with this loop hole he gave me.'   
  
He approached the two drunks who had been kicked out of the shack-like bar across the street. One of them decked the other with a sloppy left hook. It connected and the one that was hit retaliated with grabbing a cardboard box and bring it down on the other's head.  
  
Tranculus stood next to one how looked at him with blurry eyes. "Wha'd yous wan?" he slurred. If Tranculus was a normal human, he would have recoiled at the heavy scent of alcohol from the man's breath but he was anything but normal to this planet.  
  
"Not much," Tranculus smiled in the fading light. "Just your death."  
  
***  
  
Ranmata yawned and stretched. He made one last figure on his calculations and smiled. He kicked the chair beside him on the deck and woke Kara up. she glared at him as he told her his finding.  
  
"With this ship, according to my calculations, we should be reaching Earth in 2 days!"  
  
"Days?" she asked still just waking up. "But, you said a few months."  
  
"Yea, a few months on a piece of crap," he rolled his eyes. "That science freighter was a total piece of shit."  
  
Just then he felt a bop on the back of his head from a small hand. Tara walked in front of him shaking her head disapprovingly. "No swearing."  
  
"Guess what Tara," Kara exclaimed as the news sunk in. "We'll be home in a few days!"  
  
"Oh," Tara seemed to think about that for a minute. "But what about Ranmata? Where is he going to go?"  
  
"I'm going to try and get help from the Saiyan's on Earth," Ranmata replied. "There's this evil guy named Nabukia after me and I was hoping the fighters on earth would help me."  
  
"Can I meet them?" Tara asked. "What are their names? Where do they live-"  
  
"One question at a time," Ranmata pulled out a piece of paper. "I know one of them is Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans. Er, there's one I got from Planet Namek, Goka or Goku something like that. A little kid Gohan. But my data is out of date but decades do this is a huge chance."  
  
"This is great!" Kara smiled and stretched. "I've been so homesick since we left! Cabin Fever is not my piece of cake!"  
  
"You're sick?" Ranmata asked confused. "And you have a fever? But there have been no abnormalities in your body temperature."  
  
"Expression," she smiled. "Just a human expression, figure of speech."  
  
"You human's confuse me." Ranmata sighed. Just then they were interrupted by a blink on the radar.  
  
"Ships approaching," Nerfa said in her toneless voice.   
  
"What!" Ranmata jumped up and ran to the main controls. "It's four ships, just pods," he said with a touch of relief. "No weapons. They have Nabukia's signature! Nerfa, prepare to fire on them!"  
  
"What are you doing!" Kara ran up to him and looked at the alien controls as if they would give her an answer.   
  
"They are Nabukia's men," he said with a steel like voice. "He it going to Earth, but why? He can defeat me better in space why chase me to a planet?"  
  
"Weapons armed, prepared to fire."  
  
"Now," Ranmata commanded. The green lasers hit one of the small pods, then another and another until all was left was space debris. "Nerfa, scan the debris for life signs."  
  
"Why, they can't survive in space with out air," Tara came up too and looked out of the window.  
  
"It depends," he said this time with a little fear and hesitation in his voice. "If they are who I think they are..."  
  
"4 life signs," Nerfa reported. "Insectoid. They will be able to handle the descent to Earth."  
  
"Damn," Ranmata hit the controls with a fist. "He's sending the Insect group! Why the hell would he do that? Any one of his fighter and kill me, easy!"  
  
"Is he that strong?" Kara asked scared. She remember when she had seen him fight and train in the back rooms.  
  
"Stronger," he sighed. "I was a scientist and thief in his ranks, I never had the talent to be a fighter. I did turn into what I think was a Super Saiyan but I can't even try it here, I'll blow the ship apart."  
  
"That's bad," Tara commented.   
  
"Yea, that qualifies as bad," he sighed. "Nerfa, how long until reach Earth?"  
  
"At their present speed, 6 earth days. It will take then 3 days to recover."  
  
"Ok," he thought long and hard. "Nerfa, what part of Earth will they land on, include the Earth's present orbit speed, direction and the angle of the planet's axis."  
  
"They will land here," a 3D picture of Earth appeared in the middle of the deck. Kara and Tara gasped but Ranmata walked up to it and pointed to a red blinking light on one of the continents.  
  
"Kara, what part of earth is this?"  
  
"I think it's Canada," she replied. "It's the same country as where Tara and I live but he is on the other end of it."  
  
"Ok, Nerfa land on this island," he pointed to an island. "My scanners picked up high chi powers earlier."  
  
"That's Japan!" Kara exclaimed. "It's one of the most density populated countries there are! You can't just LAND there!"  
  
"Too bad," he frowned. "We are."   
  
  
  
  
  



	18. Almost Together Again

Sequel to A New Problem  
  
Author's Note: Hey! Not that bad! I got it out in under a month! Anywho, I   
got one question from FireflyAngel. Tara is pronouced Tah-rah. Rhymes   
with Kara.  
  
Disclaimer: Er, think about it.  
  
  
Chapter 18  
  
Kara yawned and stretched from her cramped position in what she   
consitered her chair on the bridge. She had barely gotten any sleep last night   
because Ranmata had to convert her room to his training room. He had   
accidentally exploded the one on the ship but fortunately the ship was   
prepared for that possibility and they were all fine and still on their way to   
Earth.   
  
Now, she was in her chair and was woken by a particularly loud curse   
from Ranmata who had been busy all the time Kara had been asleep. In her   
drowsy state of mind she almost giggled at the fact that it couldn't get night   
in outer space. She and Tara had just dropped off when ever they were tired   
but Ranmata seemed like the Energiser Bunny, he just kept going!  
  
"Ranny," Tara complained as Ranmata continued his work. "I'm   
hungry!"  
  
Kara just had to smile at Tara's nickname for the Saiyan. Ranmata   
seemed to have ignored her and Kara waited for Tara to restate her objection   
to the no-food-until-we-get-to-Earth rule Ranmata had put into play before   
Kara had fallen asleep.   
  
"Ranny-"  
  
"I heard you Tara," he replied without looking up. "And I told you,   
not until we get to Earth. I can speed us up with we don't use the energy for   
replicating food. Trust me, it will help later."  
  
"It doesn't help now," Tara pouted. She saw her sister awake and   
happily ran up to her. Scaring Joey, who had been sleeping on Kara's lap,   
Tara yanked Kara to her feet.   
  
"Woah!" Kara felt the room spin as she was dragged in a circle.   
  
"Let's play!" Tara dragged her to the back. Kara replied to the   
demand with a pleading look to Ranmata. He just shrugged and turned back   
to his work without comment or help. Kara sighed as her legs moved   
unwillingly. Ranmata had an excuse and Kara was glad to not eat if it meant   
getting to Earth faster. But her sister wasn't so forgiving and had bugged   
Ranmata long before she had dozed off and it was her turn to keep Tara out   
of Ranmata's hair.  
  
Ranmata smiled in appreciation as Kara allowed Tara to drag her out   
of the room. Now, with Tara out of the way, he could train. If he wanted to   
see his fellow Saiyans he had to have a power level that wasn't too   
laughable. Then again, maybe if he was more pathetic they would be   
inclined to help him. Probably not though. Oh well.  
  
***  
  
"Trunks," Gohan mumbled through a mouth full of broken teeth and a   
bruised jaw. "You won't have any Senzu on you?"  
  
"One," he replied also in considerable pain. Vegeta had found them   
and after a through beating that insured they couldn't escape again, he had   
locked them up leaving only the capsule with food. Between Gohan's ruined   
teeth and Trunk's broken index fingers it didn't do them any good.   
  
"Break it in half," Gohan said and Trunks attempted to but with his   
fingers broken and worse, it wasn't happening. Gohan sighed in irritation.   
"Give it to me."  
  
Gohan broke it without effort and swallowed his half whole. Then he   
handed the other half to Trunks as the bean's magic took affect. They both   
stood up, slightly bruised still but out of pain.   
  
"What now?" Trunks asked.  
  
"Why are you asking me?" Gohan asked annoyed. He could put up   
with Trunks and Goten on normal situations but this was anything but   
normal and he already was fed up with Trunks.  
  
"You are the brain," Trunk said as if it was obvious. "The plan   
maker."  
  
"It doesn't take much to think, laser that can cut through anything   
including a chi repelling force field that is holding us captive for the better   
part of my summer break and keeps and an escape plan."  
  
"I see. So…. What's the plan?"  
  
***   
  
Herman was in a bit of a mind conflict. His fire was down to coals and   
the wind was already breaking through his wall of snow. In a few minutes it   
would be him Vs Mother Nature. It was the debate, did he want to fight   
nature or Tranculus.   
  
"Time is of the essence," he told himself. "Think, think, think. If I die,   
I can't help the fighters. Plus…I'll die. But if I live, no wait not a possibility.   
Ok, die a slow and painful death by cold or a possibly quick and painless or   
bloody and painful death by Nabukia's slave? Decisions, decisions."  
  
***   
  
17 and 18 landed on an empty part of the Lookout without so much as   
a stir of wind. They walked around the edge of the Lookout before arriving   
on an impatient and eerily quiet Z gang.   
  
"Hello? 18 asked confused. Pan and Bra looked up at her but didn't   
make a move. 17 confidently walked up to them and sat on the floor next to   
them.   
  
"So," he asked. "I have no clue what is going on. Care to full me in."  
  
Goten spoke for the first time. He sat beside 17 and 18 and started to   
explain their situation to the two cyborgs with relief of being able to speak.   
  
"So everyone else is dead?" 17 asked after he was finished.  
  
"Yea, and we can't leave in case Tranculus come to kill Dende and we   
need the Dragonballs."  
  
"When are the Dragonballs active again?" 17 asked.   
  
"3 days-" Goten stopped and looked up at the sky frowning. Goku,   
Pan and Uubu jerked their heads up too.  
  
"There's a strong power level," Pan frowned. "Not strong enough to   
beat us. They will be here today I think."  
  
"And 4 more," Goten looked at another spot. "It's hard to tell power   
levels off planet but they are very strong."  
  
"Too strong?" 18 asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
Goku stopped his pacing and looked at her square in the eyes with   
none of the forgiving childness that was usually present. Now, all 18 could   
see was cold hard hatred and revenge. A merciless killer, like the rest of his   
race. "Yes, too strong. Way too strong. For any of us and all of us."  
  
***  
  
Zergon flew straight to the place where he knew as an instinct where   
Vegeta's friends were. He knew they would not welcome him with happy   
arms but they provided some protection. He needed that now as he told then   
what was wrong with Vegeta. He just hoped that the protection would not   
disappear when they attacked him.   
  
Not that they would win. The little Glaiver had a few tricks. Chi was a   
fighter thing. Not all races had it, Glaviers being one of them. They had   
adapted to their planet by inventing a kind of power that wasn't chi but in a   
sense it was. Either way, chi would not hurt Zergon's power while his would   
inflict double on the Z fighters. Fortunately for the Saiyans and humans   
Glavier slaves were pacifies and Zergon was an excellent role model in that   
field.  
  
Zergon spotted the tower Vegeta had told him about and he flew up it   
looking like a Glavier on a mission.  
  
***   
  
Tranculus soon grew bored of the drunks and searched for more   
satisfying prey in the better parts of the town. He hadn't found too much   
fighting but a shout called his attention to a formable mansion. The shouting   
came from a man shouting at a woman and child, his yells loud even from   
outside of the house.  
  
"That child is a disgusting disgrace! I've only seen one other child   
like it and his father had left him too! There is so curing it and since you   
won't leave me to my methods I pronounce your child a dunce for life!"  
  
"Good night Mr Shuu," the woman said firmly and a small child's   
crying could be heard. A black haired man stomped angrily from the house.  
  
"Stupid children," Mr Shuu grumbled.   
  
"I think we have a winner," Tranculus stepped from the shadows.  
  
***  
  
Ranmata sighed in exhaustion as he dropped to the ground. He wiped   
his brow with a white towel and opened the door of Kara's old room he was   
knocked over by a furious ball of grey fur. He yelped as the sharp kitten   
claws dug into his bare chest. Then Joey dashed off again brushing his tail   
under Ranmata's nose, causing a violent sneeze.   
  
Then a foot was planted in Ranmata's face shoving him down again as   
Tara ran over him. He sat up quickly which made Kara stop before she could   
stomp on him.  
  
"Sorry," She offered him a hand that he gladly accepted. "Tara just   
had a lot of trapped energy and Joey is taking the blunt of it."  
  
"So I see," he replied dryly looking at the blood spots on his chest.  
  
"I did have it controlled," she smiled sheepishly. "But it is Tara."   
  
"As is see," he sighed. "Well, I'll get back to work on-"  
  
"ROWR!" Joey leapt into the safety of Ranmata's arms and clawed up   
to his hair, digging himself in.  
  
"Ranny!" Tara whined. "That's not fair!"  
  
"I didn't- Ahh, ahh, ahhh-CHOOO!"  
  
Bless you," Tara said.  
  
Suddenly the computer announced something over the sound system.   
"In coming planet, prepare for impact!"  
  
"What!" Kara yelled.  
  
"Ahh!" Tara jumped on Ranmata and clung to him in fear.  
  
"I guess I was in there for longer them I though," was all he had to   
say.   
  
***  
  
"That's it!" Herman yelled making the snow that had gathered on the   
top of the cave shake. He quieted after that. "I am leaving. The walls are   
going to crush me anyway."  
  
His usually rational mind was clouded with fear. There was the   
natural fear of death and self-preservation, his clasterphobia and the fear of   
waiting. He had been waiting and watching too damn long for his liking.  
  
He pushed his snow block down and took an appreciative breath of   
the frosty mountain air. Then he took off as fast as his out of shape body   
could. His magic only worked in temperatures over 0 degrees so it was   
pretty much useless to try and teleport out.  
  
He rocketed through the sky to the Lookout where he knew the others   
were gathered. He kept an active look out for Tranculus but by some miracle   
Tranculus must not have sensed him. He was too right.  
  
***  
  
Tranculus was happily concentrating on causing Mr Shuu paint o   
realise that he could now feel Herman. He continued to snap Mr Shuu's   
remaining arm in as many places he could before dropping him to the   
ground. Mr Shuu's cries had brought people from all around the   
neighbourhood to witness the murder. They couldn't help him, the littered   
bodies of good Samaritans was proof of that. Tranculus finished the   
screaming man with a swift fist through the stomach and looked around at   
the people.   
  
"You bore me," he stated simply. "This is your down fall." He said it   
like it was a simple statement without much behind it so the people all   
breathed a sigh when he took off in the sky. Tranculus frowned as he looked   
down on the twinkling lights of the small town. Then, almost as if it was an   
after thought, he blasted the little town.  
  
***  
  
"Impact countdown in effect," Nerfa said in a calm cool voice.   
Ranmata quickly braced himself in a door frame nearby with Joey tangled in   
his hair and Tara hanging off his arm. Kara copied him by bracing herself in   
the next doorway.   
  
"5."  
  
The ship rattled and banged as anything not bolted down crashed to   
the floor.  
  
"4."  
  
"Why aren't you going to land this shit load?!" Kara yelled panicking   
over the noise of the ship.  
  
"3."  
  
"It's not designed to land on ground," he replied with a pained   
expression.   
  
"2"  
  
"WHAT!"  
  
"1."  
  
  
Extra Alex's note: HAHA! What a cliffhanger huh? Well, the plot almost   
begins! Instead of that nonsense of peeking in the Z gang's brain and picking   
apart emotions the real action will begin soon! What will Goku and gang   
think about Ranmata? How about the Insect group? And where the hell is   
Nabukia? Find out next time on, Sequel to A New Problem! ?, Catchy   
name, no?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	19. Crash Landing!

Chapter 19  
  
"AHHHHHHH!!" Kara screamed as the ship buck violently on the ground. It tumbled over and over throwing all loose objects and most people around. Ranmata and Kara lost their brace holds and Tara and Joey let go of Ranmata the second they felt him fall. The four of them twirled and hit each other over and over as the ship tore through the earth and stuttered to a stop.  
  
When everything had settled and the light flashed on permanently, Ranmata shakily stood up. He lifted a sheet of metal that had been ripped off the side of the ship when he had banged into it. Kara sat up unharmed but looked very much agitated.  
  
"That was NOT fun!" Kara yelled at him. Ranmata just smiled as Tara and Joey struggled from under the emergency blankets. Ranmata quickly grabbed the blankets and Tara stood up unharmed. Joey was even better off.   
  
"Well we're here," Ranmata shrugged. "What more can I do?"  
  
Kara grunted then reached a hand up to scratch her ear. She was amazed when it came back stained with sticky red blood. Ranmata saw her expression and immedently went over to examine her head. There was a small gash on her temple that was oozing blood.  
  
Tara squealed and covered her eyes. Ranmata frowned and grabbed one of the blankets and ripped a piece off.  
  
"This will hold it until we find the Saiyans," Ranmata told her and covered the wound with a small piece of the blanket. He frowned with within a few seconds it was soaked through. Kara quickly sat down on the ground and Ranmata was forced to follow her.  
  
"Just a flesh wound," he comforted Tara. "It will be find." Of course Ranmata had seen dozens of cuts and scraps and such before, he was a scientist. And he knew how hard head wounds bled. But he helped with children or minor wounds so he had never seen such a wound bleed so much. After a few minutes he still couldn't stop the flow and decided that they had to find the Saiyans. Or Kara might bleed to death.  
  
***   
  
All the Saiyans, remaining humans, Nameks and androids turned to one spot in the sky.   
  
"They're here," Bra commented. "What will we do now?"  
  
"Let's at least see if they are our allies or foes," Dende said before they could go shooting off. "It would be a dreadful shame if they were here to help, not to destroy."  
  
"He's right," 18 nodded. "Let's just go see what they want first."  
  
"You come too Dende," Goku told the God of the Earth sternly. "We don't want anything happening to you."  
  
"I'm perfectly aware of that!" Dende protested. "But what about Mr Popo?"  
  
"I'll stay here," Mr Popo popped up from watering his plants. "I will just get in the way anywhere else, don't worry about me."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Come on everyone," Goku grabbed Dende's arm and pulled him in the air. "We have to get going now, if they are an enemy we have to stop them."  
  
Mr Popo watched as they all disappeared down to the Earth's surface. He sighed contentedly and worked on his plants some more.   
  
***  
  
Tranculus looked at his handiwork of the farmhouse when a buzz in his chest became a message.  
  
"Android, stop your destruction and report to the two captive Saiyans and concentrate on taking the other Saiyans."  
  
"No," Tranculus smirked. "I'm having too much fun. In fact, I think I'll let your mindless Saiyan, Prince Vegeta go, just for fun."  
  
"What! Activate your shut down system until the Insect Group reaches you! This is an order from Master Nabukia."  
  
"You wish," Tranculus shut off the transmission permanently. Then, he assessed a program in himself that kept Vegeta under his control. He mentally hit the 'off' button. Then, with a satisfied smile he finally noticed the new ki on the Earth. His mouth dropped open.  
  
"It can't be," Tranculus said amazed. "One of the creators."  
  
***  
  
"This sucks," Trunks sighed. Gohan and Trunks were stuck in their little cave with no food, water, entertainment and the knowledge that Vegeta could kill them if he wanted.   
  
"Would you stop saying that?" Gohan said in his shut-up-you-damn-hybrid-before-I-slowly-rip-your-kidneys-out-with-a-spoon-and-make-you-eat-them.  
  
"But this sucks!" Trunks protested. "Utterly, fully and totally sucks! It sucks like a vacuum, like Goku at dinner, like a bloody black hole! This sucks more then-"   
  
"Trunks," Gohan said in that voice again. "I'M GOING TO EAT YOU ALIVE IF YOU DON'T' SHUT FREAKING UP!" Gohan converted to his spoon-what-spoon-I'll-use-my-bare-hands voice.  
  
"Er, I'll go sit over there," Trunks hurriedly. Suddenly a rumble hit the cave and would have knocked over the two demi-Saiyans if they had been standing. Vegeta walked in through the hole that could serve as the only door.  
  
"Brats, what the hell are you doing in here? Hurry up and get out, there's a strange power level nearby and we have to check it out. Kakarot is already going there and I won't let him beat me."  
  
Gohan and Trunks exchanged disbelieving looks.  
  
"What?! Get out here and fly."  
  
***   
  
"Easy," Ranmata helped Kara walk down the ramp of the ship. Ironically, the part of the ship to impact the ground first and be totally destroyed was the medical bay. Kara's head was wrapped in makeshift blankets but they were already soaked through. "Careful, I don't want you falling!"  
  
"What are you my mother?" Kara asked irritably as she leaned heavily on Ranmata. "I'm not an invalid you know!"  
  
"Fine, you can walk by yourself," Ranmata let go of her shoulders and he almost fell to the ground. He quickly caught her though with a knowing smile. "See?"  
  
"Shut up," she mumbled as she reached the end.  
  
"Well, I have to find the Earth Saiyans," Ranmata freed one of his hands and reached for his black bag of gadgets Tara had carried for him. He pulled out a device that looked remarkable like a smaller version of the original Scouter. He lowered Kara slowly to the ground so she could sit and placed the green/grey machine over his right eye.  
  
"What's that?" Kara asked curiously.  
  
"It's based on the original Scouter designed by Freeza but I've added several modifications," Ranmata chuckled a little. "It was too primitive, I spent the first day just trying to understand the old wiring before I could do anything with it."  
  
"Cool," Kara said drowsily. Ranmata quickly grabbed her before she fell over.  
  
"No falling asleep," he ordered sternly. "You have a major concussion and I do NOT want you to slip into a coma. Tara, make sure she stays awake."  
  
"Alright," Tara seated herself beside her older sister happy to have something to do. Ranmata fiddled with a few buttons on the side before it started to beep.  
  
"Good, it stall works," Ranmata smiled. "Hey, those are huge power levels," he frowned. "Hey is that an android? Model 3452AF23. What is it doing here? I sure hope it hasn't caused trouble."  
  
"Hey look," Kara raised an arm to point to a few white lights heading towards them. "It's some light."  
  
"That Saiyans," Ranmata nodded and clicked his Scouter. "This isn't the best place for first contact but.." He looked around at their crash site. Fortunately for them it was mostly away from civilisation but there was a farm house and barn crowded with people not too far away. Ranmata sighed, he would have to take care of that somehow.  
  
He turned as the people landed, close enough to talk but also close enough to run if danger came.  
  
Ranmata chuckled a little. These guys wouldn't need to run from him if they started fighting. His years of studies and building had all but killed the Saiyan strength and battle lust. He had theorised on the Super Saiyan bit, it was probably just reacted when he had seen the image of Kara in trouble. He quickly shook those thoughts from his head, he had to concentrate on now.  
  
Three more powers landed next to the original ones. Ranmata looked at the stone-faced group with surprise. He had expected more. He raised his hands in a friendly gesture.  
  
"Hello! Are you guys the Saiyans?"  
  
"Why?" The tallest black hair one asked suspiciously. Ranmata recalled from his notes that that must be the one called Goku. Possibly, he hadn't been able to study for the last little while and he could quite remember. He reached into his bag and pulled out the disk he kept all the information on the Saiyans. The group in front of him tensed and dropped into battle modes.  
  
Ranmata looked surprised at this. He waved his hands back and forth quickly. "Wait, wait! I'm here to ask for your help. But it seems like you need mine too."  
  
"We don't' need help from a weakling like you!" the one Ranmata defiantly knew as Prince Vegeta sputtered.   
  
"Not power level wise," Ranmata smirked and ignored the defensive looks they were giving him. "But I see you have an android infestation. Model 3452AF23, it's an older model but I can see it's probably causing you trouble."  
  
"How do you know this much about the android?" Vegeta snarled.   
  
"I created the designs for it," Ranmata rechecked his notes and identified the people in front of him.  
  
"You!" Gohan asked his voice mingling with disbelief and anger. "How could you!"  
  
"Well, first of all it was my life on the line," Ranmata looked up to return the glares the fighters were shooting at him. "And second of all I had an evil boss. I didn't know what he was going to do with it."  
  
Ranmata pulled the Scouter away from his eye a little so he could see more then the green screen was showing him. There was the legendary First Super Saiyan, Goku, The Prince Vegeta, the two Nameks Piccolo and Dende, the two androids he had discovered while in a bar with a few drunk explorers, the hybrids Trunks, Bra, Goten, Gohan and Pan and one human he remembered faintly from a bio-scan one of Nabukia's ships had taken a few years ago. The reincarnation of Buu, Ubuu.   
  
"We come in peace," Kara joked on the ground chuckling a little. Ranmata frowned when he saw she was starting to pick at the bandages on her head. He knelt down beside her and adjusted them.  
  
"Stop that, you'll only make it worse," he scolded. That got a reaction from the tough-faced group. "You wouldn't happen to have something to help with bleeding would you?"   
  
Goku reached into a pouch on his belt and slowly flew over to Ranmata as if still trying to decide if he trusted the teen or not. He handed over a green bean.  
  
"This should heal her," Goku told Ranmata. Ranmata took the seed and popped it into Kara's mouth. She chewed once and swallowed. Almost immedently she perked up and pulled the bandage off much to Ranmata's distress.  
  
"Hey!" he looked at where the wound would have been. Instead all there was on her head was a deep red stain. Ranmata breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Thanks Goku," Ranmata shifted the scouter so it covered his eye again.   
  
"How do you know my name?" Goku asked as the rest of the fighters came over to hear an answer.  
  
"You are well-known in space," Ranmata grinned. "I was hoping for your help. May be we'd better try this again," Ranmata straightened and offered a hand to Goku, a standard human gesture Tara had taught him. "Hello, my name is Ranmata of Inter-planet Colony 5647T784A, former Saiyan and ex-scientist to the Warlord Human Nabukia, the Black Shadow and Licensed Ship-boost on several different Galaxies. We can be of assistants to each other. What do you say to that?"  
  
  



	20. Old Friends and New Allies

Sequel to A New Problem  
  
Alex's Note: Yes, yes, it's been a while. Anyway, here it is! I don't have too   
much to say really, review if you are feeling generous, if not then just enjoy   
^_^  
  
Chapter 20  
  
"What do you say to that?" the teenager's words ran through Goku's   
head.   
  
"I think I need to ask my comrades," Goku said. The group quickly   
flew to a spot not to far away.  
  
"What do we do?" Goten asked hurriedly. "I say we trust this guy, he seems   
safe enough."  
  
"Yea," Trunks agreed. "And anyway, he's a laugh off in the power   
field."  
  
"But how can he help us?" Pan asked. "And when did you guys get   
back?"  
  
"I don't' really know," Trunk shrugged. "Vegeta suddenly popped out   
of his trance and let us loose."  
  
"How many times to I have to tell you," Vegeta said crossly. "I was   
not in a trance! The last thing I remember was being at Capsule Corp."  
  
"Good thing too," Gohan rubber his jaw.  
  
"Anyway, what do we do with this guy?" Pan asked and glanced over   
her shoulder. Ranmata was kneeling beside Kara and handing her a piece of   
a blanket to get the blood off. Tara was covering her eye and muttering   
something.  
  
"I don't think we should give him too much credit," Bra said. "He   
might have some sort of a plan up his sleeve. Why else would he be so   
confident."  
  
"I say we see what he plans to do first," Goku spoke up. "If he decides   
to turn on us we can still take him out. But we do not want to loose a   
potential ally."  
  
The group looked at Goku in surprise. Goku looked around a little put   
down at the disbelieving looks. "What!? He hasn't done anything wrong yet!   
We just can't kill him right off!"  
  
***   
  
Ranmata twitched a little as he hears Goku's outburst. They had   
forgotten how good a Saiyan's ears were.  
  
"Why do you sound so…political when you meet someone?" Kara   
asked as she wiped the last but of red off her head. "You weren't like that   
with Tara and me or with that guy at the space port."  
  
"It's first contact," Ranmata settled on the floor. "You have to be   
polite but don't seem like a pushover. One of the first things I learned when   
my colony met with it's sister ship. They weren't too friendly at that time   
and I almost messed up their peace treaty. I've learned ever since."  
  
"Kara, are we going home now?" Tara asked and handed the   
squirming Joey into Ranmata's hand. "I haven't seen mom or dad in sooo   
long!"  
  
"That's right," Kara brightened. "My own bed, real food-"  
  
"Food!" Tara jumped up and clapped excitedly. "Where!? I'm   
starved!"  
  
"First things first," Ranmata said sternly but he couldn't help but   
smile at Tara's antics. "We make sure these guys won't kill us, then we get   
something to eat."  
  
"Yup, living is sort of important to me," Kara nodded.   
  
"Hey, they're coming back! Look!"  
  
***  
  
  
Herman smiled as he finally saw the Kami tower in sight. He had   
made it without running into any enemies, distractions or life-threatening   
situations he just couldn't seem to avoid. He somehow couldn't shake the   
feeling that something was different. He spotted a small red object heading   
towards the tower too. He gently probed it and sighed when he saw it was   
only Zergon.   
  
They both reached the tower at the same time. Herman glanced   
around eagerly but found absolutely nothing. An empty wind was the only   
sound. He face drained, did Tranculus not follow him because he was killing   
the Saiyans?  
  
"Hello there," a friendly voice broke him out of his morbid thoughts.   
"Can I help you?"  
  
"You must be Mr. Popo!" Herman dashed up to him, relief flooding in   
his body. "Where have the fighters gone?"  
  
***  
  
" We have…" Goku said a little unsure now. "We have decided to   
take you up on your offer. How exactly do you plan to help us?"  
  
"I'll just hit the shut down button on him," Ranmata shrugged,   
smiling a little. "I can track him now, it should only take a few minutes then   
I can explain my problem to you."  
  
"You can't beat him in a few minutes," Bra protested. "He's to   
strong!"  
  
"But not very strategic," Ranmata explained. "Plus, I have a trump   
card."  
  
"And what's that?"  
  
"You'll find out," Ranmata smirked.   
  
***  
  
"They left!" Herman yelled at Mr.Popo. "What did they leave! Grr,   
this is so frustrating! Where did they go!?"  
  
"They went to the new ship that landed," Mr.Popo pointed down the side of   
the tower.   
  
"The ship has landed already!" Zergon squeaked. "Not possible!"  
  
"What do you mean, 'not possible'?" Herman asked the little ball of   
fur threateningly.  
  
"Er," Zergon looked around nervously. "I'm going to find Sir Veggie.   
Bye!"  
  
"Get back here you little runt!"  
  
***  
  
Ranmata had located Tranculus with his modified Scouter and they   
were heading there immedently. Kara was secure in Ranmata's arms, Gohan   
held Tara and Bra had immedently volunteered to take Joey.  
  
"Get ready," Ranmata yelled. "We are close. You guys stay back! I'll   
take care of him!"  
  
"What about me!" Kara yelled over the wind.   
  
"Hey. Goku!" Ranmata yelled to the Saiyan that was right under him.   
"Catch!"  
  
Ranmata dropped Kara suddenly and thankfully Goku caught her   
before she hit the ground.  
  
"Ranmata!" She yelled up to him. "YOU ARE SO DEAD!"  
  
"Take cover," Ranmata snickered.. they rest of the gang landed in a   
small rock quarry and Ranmata stood only on silent air. A desert stretched   
below him with several mountains in the way. Ranmata waited patently for   
something the others couldn't see.  
  
Kara let out a small gasp when the android suddenly appeared in front   
of Ranmata. She could only barely make out the words.  
  
"You are one of the creators?" Tranculus asked questionably.  
  
"Yes," Ranmata answered crisply. "Why are you disobeying orders?   
You were designed to only obey Main Base."  
  
"Main Base are morons," Tranculus gave a toothy grin. He glared at   
Ranmata. "And as far as I'm concerned so are you."  
  
"Where did you put the bodies," Ranmata asked returning the look.   
  
"What makes you think I kept them?"  
  
"Don't play dumb," Ranmata said perfectly calm but Tranculus could   
tell Ranmata was going to try something drastic soon. "You kept them, now   
fess up."  
  
"Never."  
  
"Fine, we'll just do this the hard way. Access Code 46573, Voice   
recognition Scientist Ranmata GreenWing. Personal password Shadow."  
  
"You won't," Tranculus said nervously.  
  
"DNA strand Y64F54S23D. History file Monks5647," Ranmata   
smiled pleasantly at the android. "Operation DeadLock, activate now."  
  
"Activation processing," a computer's voice came from Tranculus   
body. "Access confirmed. Operation DeadLock in 3, 2, 1."  
  
Tranculus's body suddenly slumped over and fell to the ground.   
Ranmata quickly grabbed it before Tranculus could fall too far. Then he   
struggled under it for a minute and called to the others.  
  
"Hey, a little help here!?"  
  
Goku quickly flew out and took the android from him. They landed   
beside the others in the rocks.  
  
"Whew, I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that," Ranmata shook his   
head sadly. "It's so immoral."  
  
"I can't believe it," Trunks gasped as Goku dropped the tonnage of   
metal on the ground. "He's useless now. How did you do it!? I thought for   
sure you would be dead on the spot."  
  
"Android Model 3452AF23 is one of my first creations," he smiled   
fondly a little. " Well it was more of a joint effort." Ranmata quickly knelt   
down beside it and turned him so Tranculus was on his back. He pushed a   
small button on the back of Tranculus's neck and a small disk popped out.  
  
"What's that?" Tara asked.   
  
"This is where your friends are stored."  
  
"What do you mean!?" Goku almost grabbed Ranmata. "You mean   
they are still alive!?"  
  
"In a matter of speaking," Ranmata placed the disk in his bag. "He   
uses their…individual minds to fuel him. That's why his program is so   
beautiful. Er, I'll explain later. Right now we have to get to your base of   
operations."  
  
"That would be the Lookout Tower," Dende spoke up quickly. "I say   
we go there right now."  
  
"What about Tranculus?" 18 asked causing them all to look back at   
the pathetic heap.  
  
"I can reprogram him," Ranmata offered. "But it could take a while.   
We have to leave him here for now. I have some more depressing news and   
I'd prefer to be somewhere a little more safe."  
  
"Then let's go," Dende said and they all took off to the sky again.  
  
***  
  
About half way to Dende's Lookout, Herman and Zergon met up with   
the rest of the group. Zergon immedently flew to Vegeta and began to look   
him over.  
  
"Sir Veggie! Are you ok?" Vegeta almost batted then little Glavier out   
of the way but Zergon looked at him with pleading eyes. Vegeta cursed   
under his breath and growled a short, "I'm fine."  
  
"Why did you guys go! You could be killed! Tranculus is out there   
and I doubt he will go easy on you! Did you forget what happened to Trunks   
and Gohan!?" Herman lecured the group.  
  
"You mean us?" Trunks waved a hand in front of Herman's face.   
Hermon backed off a little and looked them over. He caught a glimpse of   
Ranmata and started.  
  
"You!" Herman stared at Ranmata. "What are you doing here!?"  
  
Ranmata looked equally surprised. "I don't think I've met you, have   
I?"  
  
"No, not here at least," Herman squinted. "Well, what are we waiting   
for! Back to the Lookout!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	21. Death In One Easy Lesson

Chapter 21  
  
Pan, Trunks, Gohan, Goku, Goten, Vegeta, Piccolo, Uubu, Bra, 17, 18, Herman, Tara and Kara sat on the Lookout and waited for Ranmata to start.   
  
"Who you call Tranculus is a model of an android made by Nabukia's forces," Ranmata chose his words carefully. "Nabukia is a human only he was kidnapped a while back. The species that kidnapped him were scientists and he was their test subject. They demonstrated on him how their scar removing technique worked. It was a big audience, I should know, I was there. I was new in Nabukia's ranks and I had to take notes. Well, there was a drunk Saiyan in the front row and you know Saiyans. No offence to you Prince Vegeta but other then royal lines, Saiyan are idiots."  
  
"This Saiyan was no exception and ended up laughing at Nabukia's screams and Nabukia hated Saiyans after that. He's the one that convinced Freeza that the Saiyans were a threat and Freeza finished them off. Since then he's hunted down stray Saiyans and he thought I was the only one left.  
  
"For some reason or other, he decided not to kill me and took me into his ranks. Since then I've escaped and he's been hunting me down. I don't think he is as worried about you yet or he wouldn't have sent this model, they are really unreliable."  
  
Bra gasped, "You mean to tell us that Tranculus was WEAK?"  
  
"According to more advanced technology Tranculus is from the Earth's Ice Age. There's another threat on the way and they aren't at all gentle. He sent the Insect Group ahead and I'm not too sure why. I think he anticipated my route and sent them here to get me." Ranmata gave a short shudder. "The Insect Group is... unnerving. I've only had bad run ins with them."  
  
"You are a Saiyan right?" Goku asked. "Why is you power level so low?"  
  
"I never trained much. I was raised on a peaceful colony where the worse fight I ever had was who was getting the single room. I've studied my whole life," he frowned. "But I do have a bigger power level then the average ship boost."  
  
"When is this group reaching Earth?" 17 asked.  
  
"A few days. As you stand you are no match for the group. In fact, don't even try."  
  
"Then what do we do?" Pan asked. "You are saying we are going to die. And what about that disk?"  
  
"This thing?" Ranmata held up the disk he had grabbed from Tranculus. "It's where your friends are stored. You see, Tranculus has a unique design and obviously one of my fellow scientists forgot to mention to Tranculus a few major details. Once activated, Tranculus need fuel to maintain his function. Usually, this model is a very obedient type and extremely gentle."  
  
"Gentle! Gentle!" Bra almost shrieked. "I beg to differ!"  
  
"No, he is one of the kinder models," Ranmata confirmed it. "But, from what I got from you on the way over, Tranculus's activator Olios was destroyed. Before that they had destroyed most of the Earth. How did you get it back?"  
  
"We used the Dragonballs," Dende spoke up. "We wished for everything that Tranculus and Olios did to be gone."  
  
"I've heard of Dragonballs. I stopped by the New Namek a few years ago and they help me out. I learned about the Dragonballs and that's where I learned about more about Goku. You have them here on Earth? Well, I guess with Dende as your god..."  
  
"Well, anyway, if Tranculus is so, er, gentle why did he attack us?" Trunks asked.  
  
"He was starving," Ranmata said slowly, still formulating a theory in his head. "That wish undid all the deaths in a mass. Imagine that you were starving, wouldn't you do anything to get food? Wait a minute, I'm talking to Saiyan. Ok, well say you just at a huge meal and was full of energy again. Then it suddenly disappears from your stomach. That's what happened to Tranculus."  
  
"That's horrible!" Goten looked shocked. "No wonder he was so insane!"  
  
"Well anyway, Nabukia ordered Tranculus to kill people in cold blood. That is not what Tranculus was designed for. He was designed for mass destruction so he can feed but not go through the emotional pain. Damn, I knew we shouldn't have put a sentient brain in that model! But this was a 1 in 1 million chance so we went ahead anyway.  
  
"I'm guessing after Tranculus took care of your friends the extra high chi would fill him up more then a normal person but he was ordered not to kill anyone any more. So his robotic self-preservation mixed with his soul had an explosive side affect. He went insane and started to go by his instincts and kill in masses. Hmm, but the village you told me about doesn't fit that. I think he was just glorying in the feast."  
  
"How do we bring them back?" Vegeta eyed the disk Ranmata had been tapping against his foot.  
  
"We have to find their bodies first. I can free their souls but their bodies would anchor them to Earth. Without the natural healing properties we need a machine that will heal the bodies. Then we can free the souls and they can go back to their bodies."  
  
"Why don't they just go to heaven first thing?" Pan asked.  
  
"I can answer that," Herman spoke up. "When a person dies their soul has to separate from their bodies and part of that is acceptance. It's better if the soul can see their body and realise they are dead then they can depart peacefully. If the body is destroyed they can see the resting-place. But if they don't even know where their body is they become restless spirits on the Earth and can not pass into heaven until they see either of those two things. If Ranmata freed their souls now with out their bodies then they would just wander for eternity."  
  
"So we have to find their bodies," Ranmata continued. "And the quick way would be to let them loose beside their bodies and let them depart. But it would take longer to bring them back unless the Dragonballs are active again."  
  
"No, we used them recently," Dende said sadly. " And some of the people have already died and can not be revived by the Dragonballs."  
  
"Then we can go the slightly longer way," Ranmata rubbed his hands together. 'We need to find those bodies fast! Dende, you have healing powers?"  
  
"Yes," he replied hesitantly. "But I am limited to the living, I can't heal bodies."  
  
"No worries," Ranmata grinned. "You do have a medical centre here right?"  
  
"At Capsule Corp," Trunks stood. "We can head back there."  
  
"I can't leave heaven again," Dende held up his hands.  
  
"I'll stay here with you," Herman told Dende. "Just in case something happens, I am more of a fighter then you."  
  
"Alright, then everyone back to Capsule Corp!" Goku took to the air. They all rose. It was then Ranmata spotted Zergon.  
  
"You!" He cried and dove for the fur ball. Zergon squeaked and hid behind Vegeta who defended his little friend from the raging Saiyan. "You little sneak! You are the one who damaged my ship!"  
  
"Hey! Ranny-chan!" Kara yelled hanging from Goku's hand. "Calm down! Now is not the time for grudges!"  
  
"Yea Ranny!" Tara yelled from her clinging point on Gohan's arm. "Don't fight!"  
  
Ranmata reluctantly back off and settled a far distance away from Zergon. "Fine, but you and I are going to have a talk later." Vegeta didn't like the tone in Ranmata voice and resolved to find out exactly how they knew each other.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	22. Self-Pity and Found Out

Sequel to A New Problem  
  
Alex's Note: Ok, short chapter AND its out late. I'm jumping in time next chapter! Also, the Free Trade talk, or the Summit Meeting in Canada may or may not be something you now about. Anyway, I'm Canadian and it was either that or the Maple Leafs as the recent issues.  
  
  
  
Chapter 22  
  
"This is it?" Ranmata looked around especially at the room most of the Saiyan knew a little too much. "Bandages?" he flung a roll of gauze over his shoulder. "Out of that stuff? I wonder how you heal. Maybe if you were a field doctor but in a medical bay?"  
  
"We have healing tanks too," Gohan said. He looked a bit muffed at the last comment. He pointed a thumb in the direction of the tanks. Ranmata frowned and walk over to them. He tapped the glass with a finger and walked over to the controls.   
  
"Primitive but it could work," Ranmata shrugged and ripped of the panel for the controls.  
  
"Hey!" Gohan ran forward in protest. "Don't break them!" Gohan grabbed the twisted metal and glared at the young Saiyan. Ranmata just shrugged and looked closely at the jumble of wires.  
  
"Not to be rude or anything," Kara turned to Bra. "But Tara and I haven't had anything to eat for a while and-"  
  
"Food!" Tara rushed forward and grabbed Bra's hand tightly in her own tiny ones with a desperate plead in her voice. "Please tell me you have food! I'll beg, I'll steal, I'll even KILL!"  
  
"Down Tara," Kara blushed and detached her sister from Bra's arm. Holding Tara tightly in her own arms as the small 5-year-old struggled, she gave a polite cough. "We were wondering if you had any food."  
  
"Sure," Bra got over her initial surprise and smiled. "Let's leave, er, Ranmata and get a snack."   
  
There was a flurry of activity as Trunks, Goten and Goku darted from the room in a huge scrambled. Vegeta was more dignified but was close on their heels. Zergon, as always, clutched widely as he struggled to keep his perch on Vegeta's shoulder. Pan waited impatiently for Bra and Kara. Then those 3 left. Tara was left in the room with Gohan and Ranmata, shocked at the speed of the people that had been around her. Then her stomach caught up to her brain and she dashed from the room for fear of having only the leftovers to eat.  
  
Gohan hesitated and looked longingly at the door but then looked back at Ranmata. Ranmata ignored the mention of food and continued to poke and prod at the healing tank. With a sigh of long suffering, Gohan reluctantly left the door to stand by Ranmata. He might consider him an ally but there was no way he was going to let this teenager fiddle with their equipment unattended.  
  
"Junk," Ranmata frowned. He straightened and reached in his black bag. He blinked startled as he realised the room was empty except for himself and Gohan. "Where did they go?"  
  
"For food," Gohan replied a bit grumpy. It was around noon and the only food in his body was the capsule food he had spilt between Trunks. That little meal seemed days ago and he was a bit annoyed that he had to baby-sit the young Saiyan.  
  
"Oh," Ranmata either didn't pick up or ignored the hints Gohan was giving him. "Hey, how many more of these things do you have?"  
  
"There are some more over there," Gohan answered. "Aren't you going for a meal now? You are a Saiyan."  
  
"Food," Ranmata blinked. "Yes, I suppose I should but..." he looked down at the exposed machinery. He sighed and gave in. "Alright, let's go."   
  
The kitchen was a disaster area when they reached it. The once clean, Saiyan-stocked, Olympic stadium-sized room was crawling with noisy, hungry Saiyan, hybrids and humans alike. Cupboards, bags and all the freezers were open and the food almost ripped out. Some of the mob at with more dignity but for the most part, it was watch your fingers. Ranmata and Gohan both winced slightly at the primal scene and looked at each other astonished.  
  
"Want to go find a restaurant?" Gohan asked, nervous to venture into the infested kitchen  
  
"Please," Ranmata and Gohan hurried out of the kitchen. Waiting by the door for them was Kara. She watched impatiently for them to hurry up.   
  
"Come on," she shifted her weight from foot to foot. She looked at Gohan's quizzed face. "I may be hungry but not that hungry."  
  
That was the only answer the two needed. They walked out into the fresh air and Gohan popped out a capsule car. In a short amount of time the three were piled in the small car and hurrying to the nearest fast food centre.  
  
***  
  
Nabukia glared out the wide window in his ship that let the dim star light float in, just barely lighting up his face's profile. In the depressing light, a creature crouched on the faded red carpet leading up to the chair. Nabukia didn't turn to face the cowering Second but merely waited the report.  
  
"Sire, the Insect group was unexpectedly delayed," the humanoid struggled to keep the tremor of fear from his voice as his forehead touched the worn threads.  
  
"How?" Nabukia asked simply, no reaction or expression passed over his dimly lit face.  
  
"The ex-Saiyan, Sire," the Second said, close to trembling in fear. "He- he destroyed the pods and has entered the atmosphere of the planet."  
  
"There is something you are not telling me," Nabukia rested his chin on a balled fist and waited with patience as the Second gulped loudly.  
  
"The Android, Tranculus, has broken contact. The traces of his signature reading have disappeared from the planet."  
  
"So he was destroyed," Nabukia consitered it, more talking to himself then the Second.  
  
"Possibly, Sire," the Second continued hesitantly. "If you would grant it, Sire, we could interrogate the other scientists involved in the making of the android. It is possible that there were...malfunctions."  
  
"Permission granted," Nabukia nodded. Then as an after thought he told the trembling Second gently, "Try not to kill them. They are useful. You are dismissed."  
  
"Yes Sire," the Second stood up and bowed deeply, making sure his eyes didn't stray to Nabukia's face. He turned smartly and hurried down the long hallway and out the tall steel doors.  
  
Nabukia sighed and looked at he stars. "Sometimes being the evil bad guy has its disadvantages," Nabukia sighed wishfully. "Next time I find ther person responsible to telling me the bad guy role was fun, remind me to shot them. It's not fair! Where are my little yes men that hang on to my every word? Where are the hot babes that seduce me? Where is the action and adventure! I'm so sick of floating in this stupid black nothingness uttering death threat no one can here. I'm acting like there's an invisible camera around here or something. I feel so stupid looking out the window and saying "Soon, my dear Ranmata, soon you're death will come!"  
  
He sighed and settled back in the uncomfortable chair. "Mental note to self, get cushions. Might as well get some shut eye." His eye's brightened at a thought. "Hey, maybe some hormonal teenager out there is having a really great dream. What am I saying, of course they are!"  
  
He chucked and closed his eyes.  
  
***   
  
The Earth Gang had forgotten a tiny detail. Ranmata's ship had crashed near a small Japanese farm. The residents had watched the whole exchange and had a camera rolling. The youngest daughter, no more then 5, had snapped pictures on the family camera. Now, the poor family was subject to having their quiet lives interrupted by the media from around the world.  
  
People everywhere watched the video on the international news cast. It reminded some of the martial arts tournaments but most saw it was a bizarre signed. One certain family on the coast of British Columbia, Canada, watched in horror at one part.  
  
"No, Kara, don't eat that! Put it-no, don't DO that!" a short sandy haired woman groaned as the small figure in the distance swallowed the strange bean. Her husband comforted her.  
  
"Now, now," he rubbed her back soothingly. "They are alright."  
  
"No, look at Kara. She's got a bloody bandage around her head! Oh no, wait. It's gone. But I can't tell if it's bleeding or not...That's it! I swear, she is grounded for the rest of her life! No more allowance! She will never see the light of day if I can just get my hands on her..."  
  
"Dear, I'm sure you are over-exaggerating," her husband said calmly, trying to calm his wide before anything got out of hand. His wife was a very determined lady. After the initial shock of seeing their only two missing daughter appear on an international broadcast, she had vowed to kill their oldest with her bare hands.  
  
"Look, there she goes! I thought she was afraid of heights! And look at how she is holding on to that boy! I bet he's on something. How dare she drag her little sister into this! Tara is probably scared and wants to come home. I'm going! Rick, get the telephone! We're going to Japan."  
  
"Yes dear," Rick knew better then to argue.  
  
***  
  
Dende, Mr. Popo and Herman sat in Heaven, discussing the recent isusses down on Earth. Well, Herman and Dende were, Mr. Popo was content to listen and water his plants.   
  
"Can you believe that! Quebec is a historical city! Now they have to bar the windows and put up that chain link fence. It spoils the whole look. I hope that have plans to take it down when the whole Free Trade talk is over."  
  
"I agree, Herman," Dende nodded. "I just hope the leaders strike a deal that helps everybody. But now getting off topic, shouldn't we be thinking about that problem with Goku and Ranmata?"  
  
"I guess you're right. It IS important right now. What can we do about it?"  
  
"Well, if I remember correctly, Ranmata said he need the human bodies for the soul reattachment procedure to work. From here we can find anything! Why don't' we find the bodies and save them some work?"  
  
"Excellent idea!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	23. Trouble on the Home Front

Sequel to A New Problem  
  
Alex's Note: No, I'm not dead! I'M ALIVE! But I am laid up for a while. I broke my ankle riding last week and have been working on my other stories. Don't worry though! I'll have the next part out sooner, I promise!   
  
Disclaimer: Insert favourite 'Disclaimer' here   
  
  
Chapter 23  
  
"And that.... should do it!" Ranmata finished tightening one last bolt to hold the metal covering on the regeneration tank. He wiped his forehead and stood up. "Now all we need are the physical bodies."  
  
"Great," Gohan rolled his eyes jokingly. "Just what I wanted to do!"  
  
Ranmata grinned and the two left the medical room to tell the others the good news. It had been 3 days since Ranmata, Kara and Tara had landed on Earth. Gohan and Ranmata had found common grounds in the rebuilding of the regeneration tanks and had become quick friends. Kara had spent the days avoiding all work and 'forgetting' to call her mother. Tara, disappointed that her adventure was prematurely ended, was forced to occupy her time with torturing Joey.  
  
The rest of the Z gang trained for the three days. Those that could went in to the room of Spirit and Time. They hadn't gotten word from Dende or Herman yet so they assumed everything was fine in Heaven. Ranmata and Goku had retrieved Tranculus's body and it was waiting it's reprogramming in Bulma's lab.  
  
Now, with the Insect group ready to land the next day, they had nothing to do but set out to Heaven and see if Dende could give them a clue to where the bodies were preserved.   
  
Ranmata stepped out into the sun for the first time in those 3 days. He smirked slightly, Arandia, one of his stepsisters, always said he was a little obsessive with new projects. He once went as far as to stop eating for a few weeks. An incredible feat for a Saiyan but once he got his hands on a new gadget he just couldn't put it down.  
  
He knew some of his siblings had escaped, with that many even Nabukia would have trouble tracking them all down. Once this whole thing was over the Black Shadow would make it his new project to find them. Ranmata snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at Kara who was tapping her foot impatiently. He grabbed her hand and lifted off to follow the rest of the Z gang to the Look Out.  
  
***  
  
A certain Angelo female sat at a bar in a spaceport, tapping a long fingernail idly. Whoi was clearly still trying to figure out how Ranmata had gotten married in such a short time. There was the obvious reason, Daiyn were quite a pushy race when it came to marriages. The females were highly prided for their futility and they did have a very short pregnancy. But the child with them was too old for it to be the offspring of that female.  
  
Whoi's tail lashed a bit in anger. He had the nerve to come back too! He had told her straight out that he would never come back to here unless he really did change his mind, wanted to shatter her hopes completely or he was totally desperate. When she first saw him she was leaning to the first but once she saw the girl she thought the second. Of course the third was always there, his being a wanted criminal was always a turn on. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by a person tapping her on the shoulder.  
  
"Yes," Whoi turned around. It was never good to lose future clients because of a little bad manners. "Can I do something for you?"  
  
"Are you Jal Whoi?" the intruder asked. Whoi prided herself on knowing races. In her line of work it wouldn't help to lose customers because she couldn't recognise the person's features. It was a girl, who looked no older then 7. Her hazel hair was pulled tightly into several small buns on the top of her head and descended down her back in long tiny braids. Violet eyes were very prominent on her face. Her pointed ears were the thing that threw her away as the Faeroe clan but the clothing was all wrong. A tight purple jerkin and long baggy white bags were unknown to Whoi. She frowned, she needed some more study time.   
  
"Yes," Whoi nodded.  
  
"Good," the girl seated herself on the stool beside Whoi. "I require some information on an old customer of yours."  
  
"I see," Whoi smiled. She knew a lot of her clients were criminals and more so giving information about them to their enemies usually paid more. "Who would it be?"  
  
"Ranmata," the girl looked defiently in Whoi's eyes looking for a reaction. Whoi calmly swallowed and turned so she wasn't facing the girl.  
  
"Yea, I know him. What's it to you?"  
  
"I wanted to know if you knew where he was heading."  
  
"Sorry, I can't give that information," Whoi stared straight ahead at the back of the bar's wall. "I can get you in touch with someone who can. But it'll take a while, you know, contacting and setting up appointments, probably a few weeks-"  
  
Whoi was cut off by a sack being thumped loudly in front of her. She cautiously opened it. Gasping slightly at the amount of credits in it, she turned and smiled at the girl. "Follow me."  
  
***   
  
A local airport on the western coast of Canada was in an uproar. The small club only ran small touring planes and possibly a one way trip to the prairie provinces but it was definitely not ready for overseas. A single couple, or should we say a single mother and sumissive husband were suggesting the impossible.  
  
"What do you mean there are no flights to Japan!" the short woman yelled at the manager of the place. "I demand that you take me there! At once!"  
  
"Dear, maybe we should go to someplace a little bit bigger-"  
  
"Did I ask you Rick? No! Let me handle this!"  
  
"Mara, dearest, let's think this over a little-"  
  
As the woman turned to yell at her husband the overweight manager sighed in relief and sagged down a little. That woman was down right scary. He didn't envy her husband that much. He held his breath as the woman turned her verbal assult back on him.   
  
"Ma'am," the manager held up his hand defensivly. "I will personally drive you to the nearest international airport. I am sure you and your husband have excellent reasons for wanting to go over seas but sadly our small airstrip is unable to meet your needs. If you wish, we will even cover part of the ticket cost." //Just please leave!// he added silently.  
  
"Why thank you," she smiled. "Where's your car?"  
  
***  
  
In the long dark echoing Mother ship, Nabukia tapped his long thin cartilage nails on the cool surface of the stone chair bad guys seem to like so much. His eyes dropped a little as his muscles relaxed fully. Slowly he drifted off to sleep.  
  
~~**~~**~~  
  
Nabukia found himself in the exact mind he was looking for. That young Saiyan's dream state was mainly the same for most of Nabukia's visits. It was a replication of his home ship.  
  
The room he was in was obviously a children's room. It was open and very bright with wild colours. Fuzzy carpeting softened the floor and the room was coloured with wild splashes of paint. Several large low beds were placed in a small indent in the wall and the rest of the clearing was scattered with toys, colourings and books. Instead of windows looking out into the dark depressing stars, holographic windows displayed nature of the home planet. Soft recordings of classical music played in the empty room.  
  
It was messy and tousled, like it had just been played in. It was always like this. Nabukia took a step and was brought up short by a loud squeak. He snarled and pulled the soft stuffed animal from under his foot. With a squeeze and a disgusted look as the animal let out another squeak, Nabukia threw the toy casually over his shoulder. He continued with his walk to the beds. They were hidden slightly but Nabukia knew what would be on them.   
  
Ranmata had a very photographic mind. Unfortunately, so did Nabukia. The skinless human watched silently as Ranmata sat on the mussed bed, sadly pulling up the white blanket to cover something. Nabukia made his presence known by walking over to the other bed and pulling back the blanket.  
  
Five small faces stared up at him. Their eyes were open with horror and agony, mouths twisted in an eternal soundless scream. The blood vessels in the normally pinkish or violet eyes had popped, leaving small rivers of blood leaking from the corners. It dribbled down to the elfish ears that also had imploded. The effected looked much live the children were crying. The normally white sheets under them were soaked with crimson and violet blood. Nabukia regarded them coldly. He felt the muscles on his neck prickle as Ranmata glared at him.  
  
Unconcerned, Nabukia pulled the rest of the blanket back. The lower layer was already drenched in the split blood and Nabukia forced himself not to repulse at the stench. He kept an off-handed manner as he examined the bodies. They were mangled and broken, bones and veins popping out of thick, off white skin. He gave them one last look before covering them back up.  
  
He turned to Ranmata and looked at him in the eyes. Cold hatred met his gaze.  
  
"Look," Ranmata said with a voice positively dripping with loathing. "The glory of conquest. Isn't it lovely?"  
  
"I don't care much for the scenery no, but a victory is a victory. I did get you, didn't I?"  
  
"And I am fulfilling my promise to make your life absolutely miserable, aren't I?"  
  
Nabukia thought for a minute before answering. "Yes, you are an inconvenience but not to worry dear boy, you will soon be out of my hair. Well, if I had any."  
  
"You sick bastard," Ranmata spat. He stood up with his red battle aura flickering around him slightly. "How dare you invade my dreams? Did you not take enough from me? Can you not leave me in peace?"  
  
"Dear Ranmata," Nabukia remained seated and smiled. "Peace? I do believe you are planning an attack on me. As any creature I do have the right to fight back. Just as your family did. Or would have done if given the chance." Nabukia smirked a little. "But I never believe in leaving things to chance."  
  
"You-!" but before Ranmata could get his insult out, the room and him disappeared into a black void.  
  
~~**~~**~~  
  
Nabukia suddenly found himself sitting in his cold dark chair again. He smiled and picked up the pad of paper beside him and scribbled down the notes he had just gathered.  
  
***  
  
"Ranmata?"   
  
A not-so-gentle shake on his shoulder snapped him out of his nap. He looked around and saw it was Kara. She looked at him with concerned eyes.  
  
"You ok? You just conked out when we reached Dende's? Not enough sleep?"  
  
"Yea. Something like that."  
  
Extra Alex's Note: Hey, you know what I like? REVIEWS! Not to sound threatening to anything but I haven't had a single review since January. Partly my fault, I understand but PLEASE! ONE MEASELY WORD!  
  
In fact, here are several! Just copy and paste in the box below:  
  
Cool!  
  
Awesome!  
  
You're the best writer ever.   
  
Get well soon!  
  
This sucks! Take it down!  
  
Who writes this crap?  
  
Get off the stage!  



	24. Lifeless

Note: **ducks under a shell and muffled comes out** I'm sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry! School caught up to me and... Well it HAS been almost 6 months and this chapter is disgustingly short but... Um ,well, er... I got a romance muse and my life all sorted into priorities so I SWEAR as long as people read, I'll work on it! K, that's all. But I'm still not coming out until the vegetables stop.  
  
Chapter 24  
  
Whoi led the young looking Fei girl to what appeared to be a solid wall just inside the main hanger. There was a large grey ancient ship blocking the section of the wall from the general public. She glanced around to make sure nobody was around and knocked the secret knock- 3 long, 1 short and then 3 more in a rapid beat. She whispered her own personal password after, "Open the door baka."  
  
The seem-less door swung open and the small girl had to jump back to avoid getting hit. Whoi was unaffected by the surprise opening and looked around the hidden wall suspiciously. When she was sure no one had seen she grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her through the entryway. As soon as they were both in the heavy door silently shut.  
  
Whoi led the girl down a short steel passage and hit a button on the side of the wall. The small room inside was covered in view screens, buttons, monitors, flashing lights and even the floor was used up with gadgets and switches. There was a clear pass through the overload of stuff and it led to a small chair. In the chair sat a Daiyn.   
  
Daiyns were a humanoid race. With multicoloured skin and long flowing hair they weren't very different from any other race. The one think that set them apart was a little extra finger halfway up their forearm.   
  
This appendage was only as small as a pinkie and seemed useless. But those who knew their biology weren't mislead by the weak appearance. The sharp nail on the edge of the finger was hollow. It was filled with one of the only known incurable toxins. No one was immune and no one could ever recover if touched with it. It had a major drawback though. Even the Daiyn race wasn't tolerance of it's own poison. If the small sac in the arm was ever to break, the Daiyn would die instantly. Many Daiyn underwent an operation that removed the finger and rendered the sac infertile. This Daiyn wasn't among them.  
  
Berily, King of the underworld of Spaceports, assassin, thief, outcast and all around nice guy turned around and grinned brilliantly at Whoi.  
  
"Whoi! Darling! How may I help you?" he swirled the chair and greeted the two girls. "I see you've brought a friend."  
  
"Cut it Berily," Whoi tucked a piece of silver hair under her ear. "I've come for information. This young woman needs a ship and a map to Ranmata's destination."  
  
"Now Whoi," Berily smiled bigger but the younger girl knew it wasn't in greeting anymore. "You know I don't rat out my friends. Never ever will I let a secret slip about one of my most valuable and trusted friends! My loyalty-"  
  
Whoi dropped the sack filled with silver coloured coins. Berily stopped ranting and weighted the sack expertly in his hands. He smiled again this time the smile was tinged with greed. "Why didn't you say so! A scouting ship is about to leave for docking with the Mother ship of Nabukia. I hear they are looking for a cook. He's heading for Earth."  
  
"My greatest thanks," the girl bowed deeply with her palms flat on her thighs. "I shall leave now. If you would be so kind as to release the locks on your doors I will go."  
  
"Just don't tell anyone we're here," Berily reached over to a switchboard and tapped a few keys. "I'll be watching and if a word slips..." he drew a hand across his throat and clearly displayed his venomous finger. The girl bowed again and left through the open doors.  
  
"Whoi my precious!" Berily turned his attention to the small angelic-like being. "Was there something else you were hoping for? A treat perhaps?"  
  
"Not the kind of treat you are talking about," she scowled at him. "I told you pay up front!"  
  
"But you know my credit is excellent dear! How about for an old friend?"  
  
****  
  
Mr Popo gently laid the last body on the beds in the lookout. Krillin's eyes were closed and his face moved to a more calming appearance. All the lost friends around him were like that. Mr Popo pulled the blanket up to Krillin's chin and left the dimmed room. Dende stood outside the room watching the side of the Lookout.  
  
They expected the rest of their friends any moment. Dende had seen their departure to the Lookout for help with finding the bodies of their comrades and loves ones. Dende smiled softly.   
  
"It's the least we could do," he whispered under his breath. His throat caught when he saw the first chi signature. Goku. It was filled with grief, anger and an under laying bitter taste of revenge. Just as suddenly as Goku was seen the rest of the squad appeared in the distance. Herman shuffled to his feet and stretched lazily.   
  
"Well, here they come," he sat back down and glued his eyes on the people as they came closer. "At least we've found the others. They should help. The longer they have to wait the greater the risk it is the spirits will start degrading."  
  
***  
  
Deep in a forest in Northern Canada, people watched as a small Japanese community was turned upside down by the landing of a spaceship. Mothers held children close as it showed a fuzzy zoom in of the creatures talking. Most like human while there was one with a tail. And announcer was speaking in a hushed voice.  
  
"What could they want? What could they want?"  
  
***  
  
Goku and the others touched down on Heaven. Dende and Mr Popo looked up at them happily. Herman grunted and said easily, "What took you?"  
  
"We've gathered the bodies all together, all there is needed is your procedure," Dende said trying his best to keep a Kami like stance. It was impossible though and his youth shine through his eyes. Ranmata smiled and Herman led them to the rooms. Ranmata turned back to the group.  
  
"You might not want to come in. I can have their spirits all returned to their bodies in a few hours but you probably won't what to watch."  
  
Trunks nodded slightly and Gohan shuddered. A few people hung back hesitantly. Kara was the only one to come forward to help Ranmata and together they walked into the dimmed room.  
  
Ranmata walked up to the first body and pulled back the sheet. A pale woman with black hair lay there. Ranmata looked at her sadly and opened the capsule with the modified chamber. He carefully lifted the stiff cold body and placed her in the chamber with the restraints to hold her upright. He winced as the gap on her stomach opened and showed the almost bloodless organ. He covered the patch with a sticky piece of material and closed the chamber door. With a sigh, he set the controls and started the machine.  
  
Kara was all ready looking at the other bodies. She was looking at a small person with a clown-like face. She placed a hand softly on his cheek and felt tears spring in her eyes. Ranmata placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and squeezed but even he could not hide the sorrow in his eyes. This was a terrible thing. And Nabukia would pay. 


	25. Author's Note

GS Note: To anyone still reading, I'm so sorry! I almost had the next part finished when I got a virus on my comp and I had to delete it! Swear! I'll be pushing this to be done soon but comment greatly modivate me!

I'm glad you've still stuck with this little story of mine and I hope you all had a happy new year and good luck on exams to all you high school students!

GS


	26. Done and Almost

****

Sequel to A New Problem

__

Chapter 25

The fighters waited tensely for the young Sayian to exit the Palace. It had been well over an hour since Ranmata and Kara had entered to use the Regeneration tank to try and heal the bodies so they would accept the souls. So far there had been no movement in the open doorway. For over an hour, the platform had been silent as the Sayains and Androids sat in waiting. Trunks had almost asked Goten if he had a deck of cards but the look on his father's face stopped him. So they sat, the winds the only comfort.

*** 

Ranmata gasped in exhaustion as he opened the hatch for the last time and caught the body that fell from it. It was a pretty blue haired woman. Her abdomen was now healed without a scar but her face was chalking white with blue lips. He sighed in regret and moved her to the empty bed. It was covered in blood. Everything was covered in blood. The tables, the floor, the tank, him. Kara too. Sometimes the tank broke down in the middle of a job and he had to open the door and get Kara to hold the bleeding body until he fixed it. The worst was when they didn't bled. Some of them had gaping wounds but no more blood to bleed. 

Ranmata slumped on the ground next to Kara. She had her knees tucked under her chin and her arms wrapped around her body. She buried her head on her knees as tears streaked down her face, making tracks in the dried blood. Ranmata placed a hand on her shoulder, offering comfort even though he had none to give. She looked up at him with tear filled, brown eyes and smiled gratefully. She wiped her face, the tears re-energising the blood and streaking it across her face. 

"Ok, let's get this over with," she said in a dry, horse voice even though she hadn't sobbed once. Ranmata nodded mutely and stood up. He offered a hand but Kara stood on her own. They took one last look at the still and preserved bodies lying one by one on the cold stone tables that served as a bed. Ranmata pulled out the disk he had taken from Tranculus. Kara held up his black bag filled with electronics and he dug through it until he came up with a palm-sized computer.

"One good things about building those robots," Ranmata tried to smile weakly. "Is that I know exactly how to reverse their effects. This will release their souls into this room. In about half an hour we can only hope they find their bodies. It's going to get strange, are you ready?"

Kara nodded and steeled her face determinedly. Ranmata did the same.

Ranmata opened the device and placed the disk inside. He closed it and pressed the only button on the top. Almost immedently the room grew cold dozens of whispering ghosts left the disk through a tunnel. Some immedently left the room, they were old souls, trapped for years inside their cells, fuelling Tranculus for years. Some of stayed and circled the room for a few minutes before leaving as they didn't find their bodies. A few hovered over the still bodies on the bed before moving on to the next, examining it until they found theirs. Here and there, one of the corpses suddenly took a gasp, then fell still again. A soul had decided it wasn't theirs.

One came right up to Kara, it's faceless features looking at her curiously before trying to penetrate her body. She gasped in pain before the ghost left disappointed. Ranmata slowly reached down and held onto the younger girl's hand. She gripped back. 

It could have been minutes or it could have been hours, before the room slowly started to warm again, Kara's skin was white and Ranmata's tail was puffed in cold. Ranmata took the first step cautiously and then nothing happened Kara did too. They went over to the nearest bed. Fearfully, Ranmata placed his fingers on the blonde girls' neck. A pulse rang weakly under her skin. Kara's face split into a huge grin. A spirit had rested there.

They went from body to body. Each was breathing and had a pulse. All the bodies had a spirit in them. And it had to be the right one, Ranmata had told Kara. A wrong spirit can't stay very long in the wrong body. Grins wide and heart light, they left to tell the others the good news.

***

On a freighter, bent over a sink and washing a huge greasy pot, a young girl-like woman scrubbed dutifully. A pile of similar dishes stood on either side of her. The dirty pile and much higher then the clean one. The huge, boss cook took another drag from the burning piece of wood before coughing and leaving the rooms. The girl didn't mind. Her long thin braids were tied back with a thin piece of cloth. She was almost to the place where she needed to be.

She added the newly clean pot into the pile of gleaming dishes and moved on to the next one. Her nose wrinkled as she got a smell of this nights dinner. The water was already brown and had bits of fat floating in it but she sunk the pot in any ways. Her pointed ears were bare and the jewels that were around her neck and arms were off and tucked safely under bunk. Her silk clothes were covered with a stained apron. She couldn't wait to be off this skip. But until then, she worked on.

***

Nabukia shifted on his cold chair, making a mental note to get another pillow for his chair. And some decorations. He could wait until he got to Earth. He didn't want to take it over of course, it was his home and he didn't want to hurt his people. They didn't' do anything. They were innocent. Of course he wasn't going to stay either. It may be home but he didn't want to scare everyone. But he couldn't wait to get some real material things. No one could make a cheeseburger quite like Burger King, or copy Bach as well as CDs could. Paintings in space just didn't have the same atmosphere as they did back home. And it would be nice to see a blue sky again. Yes, he thought to himself. I am going to make me some shore leave this time!


End file.
